THE  LIBRARY 

OF 
THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


FLOWERETS. 


ffotomls* 


A    SERIES    OF    STORIES    ON    THE    COMMANDMENTS. 

BY  JOANNA    H.   MATHEWS, 

Author  of  the  "Bessie  Books." 

I.    VIOLET'S  IDOL.    THE  FIRST  AND  SECOND  COM- 
MANDMENTS     Jo-75 

II.    DAISY'S  WORK.    THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT.    .    0.75 

III.    ROSE'S  TEMPTATION.    THE  FOURTH  COMMAND- 
MENT  0.73 

IV.    LILY'S  LESSON     THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT  .    .    0.75 

V.    HYACINTHE    AND    HER    BROTHERS.     THE 

SIXTH  COMMANDMENT 0.75 

VI.    PINKIE  AND   THE    RABBITS.    THE  EIGHTH, 

NINTH,  AND  TENTH  COMMANDMENTS     ....    0.75 

The  set  in  a  neat  box,  $4-50. 


ROBERT   CARTER  AND   BROTHERS, 
Ne-w  York. 


DAISY'S    WORK. 


SEfje  STfjirt  Comman&ment. 

BY 
JOANNA  H.  MATHEWS, 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  "BESSIE  BOOKS." 


"  Thou  shall  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain  ;  for 
the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that  taketh  his  name  in  vain." 

"  Let  your  communication  be  yea,  yea,  and  nay,  nay ;  for  whatso- 
ever is  more  than  these  cometh  of  evil." 


NEW  YORK: 

ROBERT  CARTER  AND  BROTHERS, 

530,  BROADWAY. 

1870. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870,  by 

ROBERT  CARTER   AND   BROTHERS, 

In  the  Office   of  the   Librarian   of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


CAMBRIDGE: 
PRESS  OF  JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON. 


"P2L7 


TO 


MY    DEAR    LITTLE     COUSIN, 
LULU  CHAUNCEY. 


622734 


CONTENTS. 


I.  THE  LITTLE  FLOWER-GIRL n 

II.  A  CLUSTER  OF  DAISIES 35 

III.  THE  DAISY  TRANSPLANTED 63 

IV.  DAISY'S  SISTER  FLOWERETS      ....    85 
V.  DAISY  AT  STUDY 107 

VI.  DAISY  A  TEACHER 127 

VII.  THE  SWEARING  CLASS 151 

VIII.  DAISY'S  NAME 181 

IX.  THE  LOST  FOUND 201 


THE   LITTLE   FLOWER-GIRL. 


'/ 


DAISY'S    WORK. 


I. 

THE  LITTLE  FLOWER-GIRL. 

T^HERE  stood  our  Daisy.     What 
a  Daisy  it  was  too;  what  a  fair, 
sweet  floweret;    pure  and    innocent- 
looking  as  the  blossoms  over  which 

O 

she  bent.  There  she  stood  beside 
her  basket  of  flowers,  a  little  spot  of 
brightness  and  beauty  amidst  all  the 
dust  and  heat  and  turmoil  of  the 
noisy  street,  on  that  warm  summer 
afternoon. 


12  Daisy's  Work. 

It  was  a  street  which  ran  beside  a 
great  railroad  depot.  Porters,  carmen, 
and  hackmen  were  calling,  shout- 
ing, and  swearing;  passengers  were 
hurrying  by  to  catch  the  trains  which 
were  starting  every  few  minutes;  car- 
riages driving  up  with  their  loads  of 
ladies  and  children;  and  farther  down 
the  street  were  great  trucks  laden 
with  freight,  and  express-wagons  fill- 
ed with  baggage,  which  the  railroad 
porters  were  unloading  with  a  great 
amount  of  noise  and  crash;  and 
amongst  it  all  was  Daisy,  standing 
opposite  the  door  of  the  ladies'  en- 
trance. 

But  not  one  of  all  those  passers-by 
knew  that  she  was  a  "Daisy,"  or 
that  those  were  her  namesakes  which 


The  Little  Flower-Girl.         13 

she  held  so  lovingly  in  her  little 
hands.  Now  and  then  one  stopped 
to  buy  one  of  the  five  or  ten  cent  bou- 
quets, so  tastefully  arranged,  which 
lay  in  her  basket;  and  almost  all  who 
did  so  had  a  kind  word  to  give  the 
child;  for  there  was  something  in  her 
look  and  air  which  pleaded  for  ten- 
derness and  sympathy.  It  did  not 
seem  that  this  was  her  proper  place; 
for  even  in  her  homely  dress  she 
looked  so  dainty  and  delicate,  and 
moved  and  spoke  so  like  a  little  lady, 
that  it  was  easy  to  see  that  she  had 
been  accustomed  to  a  different  kind 
of  life.  But  all  who  noticed  her,  or 
stopped  to  buy  her  flowers,  were  in 
such  haste  that  none  had  time  for 
more  than  a  passing  interest  in  the 


14  Daisy's  Work. 

child,  and  contented  themselves  with 
wondering  and  pitying. 

Down  the  street  came  a  lady  with 
a  little  girl,  the  latter  skipping  and 
jumping  as  she  held  her  mother's 
hand.  No  wonder  the  little  one  was 
happy,  and  as  full  of  play  and  merry 
pranks  as  any  kitten;  for  she  had 
been  spending  such  a  pleasant  day 
with  mamma  in  the  city,  and  was 
now  going  back  with  "  such  lots  to 
tell  about  and  heaps  of  pretty  things  " 
to  her  own  lovely  country  home. 

"Oh,  see,  mamma!"  she  said,  as 
her  eye  fell  upon  the  other  child, 
"  see  those  pretty  flowers  that  dear 
little  girl  is  selling.  She  is  just  about 
as  large  as  Lola  Swan,  and  dorft 
she  look  nice  and  sweet.  Won't 


The  Little  Flower-Girl.          15 

you    buy    some    flowers    from    her, 
mamma?" 

T  You  have  plenty  of  flowers  at 
home,  dear  Lily,  and  we  have  about 
as  much  as  we  can  carry  now,"  an- 
swered her  mother. 

"  Oh,  dear  mamma,  but  those  little 
brenkays "  (bouquets,  Lily  meant) 
"  would  take  up  such  a  tiny  mite  of 
room,  and  I  want  you  to  buy  some 
for  kindness  to  the  little  girl.  She 
looks  so  sorry  out  of  her  eyes,  mam- 
ma." 

Moved  by  the  pleadings  of  her 
little  daughter,  Mrs.  Ward  turned 
toward  the  flower-girl,  whom  in  her 
hurry  she  had  nearly  passed  without 
a  look,  and  asked  the  price  of  her 
bouquets. 


1 6  Daisy's  Work. 

!f  What  a  pretty  pot  of  daisies ! 
Can't  I  have  that,  mamma  ?  "  asked 
Lily. 

But  at  this  the  flower-girl  drew 
back  and  put  one  hand  over  the  pot 
of  daisies  she  held  in  the  other,  as  if 
she  feared  it  was  to  be  taken  from 
her  by  force. 

"  I'll  ask  papa  to  carry  them  for 
me,  mamma,"  said  Lily. 

"  Ho !  ho ! "  said  a  cheery  voice 
behind  her,  "  so  you  think  papa  has 
nothing  better  to  do  than  turn  express- 
man and  carry  all  your  traps,  do  you  ? 
I  wonder  how  many  bundles  are  al- 
ready waiting  in  the  depot  for  me  to 
put  safely  in  the  cars ; "  and  turning 
about  Lily  saw  her  father,  who  had 
overtaken  his  wife  and  little  girl. 


The  Little  Flo wer-Girl.          17 

"Oh!  lots  and  lots!"  said  Lily, 
jumping  about  with  new  glee  as  she 
saw  him.  r?  We  bought  something 
for  everybody,  papa;  and  I  bought  n 
present  for  your  birthday  to-morrow; 
but  it  is  a  secret.  Mamma  is  going 
to  fill  it  with  ink  and  I'll  put  it  on 
your  writing-table  'fore  you  come 
down  in  the  morning;  but  you  won't 
ask  what  it  is,  will  you?  " 

"  Not  on  any  account,"  said  Mr. 
Ward.  "  But  you  must  make  haste 
and  buy  your  flowers,  or  we  shall  not 
find  good  seats  in  the  cars.  So  you 
want  these  daisies,  do  you?  How 
much  are  they,  my  child  ?  " 

But  again  the  flower-girl  drew  back. 

w  I  couldn't  sell  them,  sir,"  she  said; 
"  at  least  not  now,  not  if, " 

2* 


1 8  Daisy's  Work. 

"  Oh !  they  are  for  some  favorite 
customer,  hey?  You  see,  Lily,  you 
can't  have  them.  Well,  pick  out 
your  bouquets;  we'll  hang  them  about 
our  necks  if  we  can't  carry  them  any 
other  way,"  said  Mr.  Ward.  "  This 
is  the  little  girl  I  told  you  about,  my 
dear,"  turning  to  his  wife,  who  had 
been  looking  at  the  sweet,  sad  face 
of  the  young  flower  vender. 

;?  What  is  your  name,  my  child  ?  " 
asked  the  lady. 

"  My  name  is  —  they  call  me  Mar- 
garet," said  the  child,  with  hesitation 
in  her  voice  and  manner,  and  a  sud- 
den flush  breaking  over  her  face. 

"There,"  said  Mr.  Ward,  when, 
having  paid  for  the  flowers  which 
Lily  had  chosen,  he  hurried  his  wife 


The  Little  Flower-Girl.          19 

and  daughter  away;  w  there,  my  dear, 
I  did  not  say  too  much  about  that 
child,  did  I?" 

«  Why  no,"  said  Mrs.  Ward,  look- 
ing back  to  the  small  figure  beside  its 
basket  of  flowers,  there  is  certainly 
something  very  interesting  about  her. 
Her  speech  and  manner,  as  well  as 
her  looks,  are  strangely  refined  and 
lady-like  for  one  in  her  position.  I 
wish  we  had  time  to  talk  more  to 
her." 

The  flower-girl  looked  after  them 
and  sighed,  —  a  long,  weary  sigh,  as 
she  watched  the  frolicsome  Lily. 

"  Most  all  little  girls  have  their  fa- 
thers and  mothers,"  she  said  softly  to 
herself;  "  but  I  don't  have  either.  I 
wonder  why  God  did  take  both  of 


2O  Daisy's  Work. 

mine  away;  if  He  didn't  know  how 
lonesome  I  would  be,  or  why  He 
didn't  take  me  too.  I  don't  see  what 
good  I  can  be  to  Him  all  alone  by 
myself,  except  Betty  and  Jack.  But 
then  He  knows,  and  maybe  He  only 
wants  me  to  be  patient  till  He's  ready 
to  take  me." 

But  the  wistful  eyes  brightened 
again,  as,  having  watched  Lily  and 
her  friends  disappear  within  the  door 
of  the  depot,  she  turned  them  the 
other  way  to  see  if  new  customers 
were  coming. 

"  There  he  comes,"  she  said,  as  her 
eye  fell  upon  a  tall,  broad-shouldered 
gentleman  coming  down  the  street, 
"soldier"  written  in  every  line  and 
motion  of  his  figure,  from  the  erect, 


The  Little  Flower-Girl.         21 

stately  head,  down  to  the  ringing, 
military  tread  of  his  firm  foot. 

"  Good  afternoon,  little  woman," 
he  said,  returning  with  a  pleasant 
smile  her  welcoming  look;  "  is  my 
wife's  bouquet  all  ready  ?  " 

Taking  from  the  corner  of  her 
basket  a  bouquet  somewhat  larger 
than  the  rest,  and  of  rather  choicer 
flowers,  she  held  it  up  to  him. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  she  said,  as  she 
received  the  price;  and  then,  with 
rising  color,  added,  "  would  it  be  too 
much  trouble  to  carry  this  to  the 
lady?" 

"Too  much  trouble?  No!  How 
much  is  it?  "  he  said,  putting  his  hand 
again  into  his  pocket. 

"Oh!    sir,  I   didn't   mean   that.     I 


22  Daisy's  Work. 

didn't  want  to  sell  it,  but  to  give  it 
to  you,  if  you  would  take  it  to  the 
lady  you  buy  flowers  for  every  day. 
I  want  to  send  it  to  her  because  you 
are  so  kind  to  me,  and  because  —  be- 
cause you  put  me  in  mind  of — of 
somebody." 

"  That  is  it,  is  it?  "  said  the  gentle- 
man. "  Well,  I  can't  refuse  such  a 
pretty  gift,  so  prettily  offered.  And 
who  do  I  put  you  in  mind  of,  pray?" 

"  Of  my  papa,  sir.  You  do  look 
like  him." 

"  Humph !  "  said  the  gentleman, 
not  much  pleased  at  the  idea  that  he 
was  like  the  father  of  this  little  poor 
child,  above  her  station  though  she 
looked.  "And  these  are  daisies,  hey? 
My  wife  will  like  them." 


The  Little  Flower-Girl.          23 

"  General,  do  you  mean  to  miss  the 
train  ? "  said  an  acquaintance,  as  he 
passed. 

"  Not  with  my  own  consent,  cer- 
tainly," said  the  gentleman.  "  I  shall 
thank  you  for  the  lady  to-morrow, 
my  little  girl." 

But  as  he  turned  to  go,  his  foot 
slipped  upon  a  piece  of  orange-peel, 
thrown  down  by  some  careless  per- 
son, and  he  had  nearly  fallen.  He 
would  have  been  down  altogether  but 
for  his  little  companion;  but  as  he 
involuntarily  put  out  his  hand,  she 
caught  it;  and  that  support,  frail  and 
slight  as  it  was,  was  sufficient  to 
steady  him. 

Kind  of  heart,  noble  and  generous 
though  he  was,  the  soldier  was  hasty- 


24  Daisy's  Work. 

tempered  and  quick,  and  an  oath  — 
a  fearful  oath  —  burst  from  his  lips. 

"  Ah,  you  were  my  good  angel. 
You  have  saved  me  from  a  bad  fall," 
he  said  almost  in  the  same  breath, 
but  in  a  very  different  tone  and  man- 
ner, as  he  turned  to  the  child. 

His  good  angel!  Ah,  yes!  More 
than  he  knew,  his  good  angel.  Those 
little  hands  should  from  this  time  hold 
him  from  falling  into  the  sin  of  which 
he  had  just  beeri  guilty. 

Years  ago  General  Forster  would 
have  been  shocked  at  the  thought 
of  letting  such  words  escape  his 
lips,  though  even  then  he  was  none 
too  reverent  or  careful  in  speaking  of 
sacred  persons  or  things;  but  in  the 
bustle  and  excitement  of  war  he  had, 


The  Little  Flower- Girl.          25 

alas!  like  many  another  brave  man, 
allowed  himself  to  fall  into  the  habit 
of  taking  God's  holy  name  in  vain. 
But  careless  though  he  might  be 
before  men  in  moments  of  forgetful- 
ness,  or  when  his  hasty  temper  got 
the  better  of  him,  he  seldom  or  never 
suffered  himself  to  use  such  words 
before  women  or  children;  why,  you 
shall  learn. 

"  Why,  have  I  hurt  you  ?  "  he  ask- 
ed, seeing  with  surprise  her  startled 
and  troubled  face. 

"No,  sir,  oh!  no,"  she  answered, 
catching  her  breath,  "  but,  but "  — 

"Well,  but  what?" 

"  But  I  am  so  sorry  j  "  and  that  she 
was  so  was  proved,  as  she  covered 
her  face  with  her  hands  and  burst 
into  tears. 


26  Daisy's  Work. 

"  Sorry  for  what?  "  he  asked. 

She  gave  him  no  answer,  but  shrank 
a  little  away. 

w  Sorry  for  what  ?  "  he  repeated,  as 
if  determined  to  know;  and  the  tone 
of  command,  which  seemed  to  say 
he  was  used  to  instant  obedience, 
forced  her  to  speak,  whether  she 
would  or  no. 

"  Sorry  for  those  words  you  said, 
sir,"  she  sobbed. 

"Those  words?  What  words?" 
But  his  question  answered  itself  as  it 
was  spoken;  for  his  wicked  words, 
which  but  for  this  would  have  been 
forgotten  the  next  instant,  came  back 
to  him,  and  he  stood  rebuked  before 
this  poor  little  flower-girl.  He  re- 
pented already;  but  repented  only 


TJte  Little  Flower-Girl.         27 

because  he  had  distressed  this  simple 
child,  in  whom  he  took  so  much  in- 
terest, not  yet  because  he  had  grieved 
and  offended  the  Holy  One  whose 
name  he  had  profaned. 

Still  he  was  vexed  too. 

tf  Why,  you  don't  mean  to  say,"  he 
said  rather  impatiently,  "that  you 
never  hear  such  words  as  those, 
standing  here  as  you  do,  half  the  day, 
with  those  rough  men  and  boys  about 
you?  " 

"Oh,  yes,  sir!  "  she  said,  plaintive- 
ly. "  I  do  hear  such  words,  often, 
often.  I  try  not  to;  but  I  can't  help 
it,  you  see ;  and  it  makes  me  so  sorry. 
But  I  thought  those  poor  men  and 
boys  could  not  know  how  to  read, 
and  had  never  been  taught  better, 


28  Daisy's  Work. 

or  perhaps  they  did  not  know  what 
God  had  said  in  His  commandments. 
But  I  did  not  think  gentlemen  said 
such  things  ;  and  I  liked  you  so 
much." 

And  did  she  like  him  less  now? 
He,  the  gentleman,  the  rich  man,  felt 
that  he  could  not  wish  to  lose  the  re- 
spect and  liking  of  this  little  child 
whom  he  thought  so  far  beneath  him, 
and  he  was  ashamed  and  sorry.  He 
knew  that  it  was  not  impertinence, 
but  only  her  innocent  simplicity  and 
truthfulness,  which  had  caused  her  to 
say  what  she  did.  But  to  know  that 
he  was  in  the  wrong  and  to  acknowl- 
edge it,  were  one  and  the  same  thing 
with  this  true-hearted  man. 

:?  You  are  right,  Margaret,"  he  said, 


The  Little  Flower-GirL         29 

forgetting  how  fast  the  moments  were 
flying.  "  Gentlemen  should  not  say 
such  things,  especially  before  ladies 
and  children.  It  is  bad  manners; 
but  I  forgot  myself  just  then." 

She  took  her  hands  from  her  face 
and  looked  up  at  him.  There  was 
an  unspoken  question  in  the  clear, 
earnest  eyes,  and  it  was  plain  that 
she  was  not  yet  satisfied. 

:?  Well,"  he  said  smiling  at  her, 
"what  troubles  you  still?  Let  me 
have  it  all." 

"  I  was  only  thinking  what  differ- 
ence could  it  make,  sir." 

:r  What  difference  could  what 
make?" 

:?  Whether  it  was  ladies  and  chil- 
dren who  heard  it,  sir,"  she  answered 
3* 


30  Daisy's  Work. 

timidly.  "  God  hears  it  all  the  same, 
doesn't  He?  And  it  can't  make  any 
difference  to  Him  who  else  hears  it." 
She  looked  up  as  she  spoke  at  the 
blue  sky  overhead,  and  the  look  and 
the  words  brought  to  him  a  sudden 
sense  of  God's  constant  presence  and 
nearness.  He  had  known  it  well 
enough  before,  —  that  the  Almighty 
Eye  saw  him  always;  that  the  Al- 
mighty Ear  heard  him  always;  but  he 
had  never  felt  it  as  he  did  now.  The 
gentle,  timid  reproof  had  gone  far 
deeper  than  the  little  giver  had  in- 
tended, and  her  hearer  felt  ashamed 
that  he  had  confessed  to  her  that  he 
would  pay  a  respect  to  a  woman  or 
child  which  he  did  not  feel  it  needful 
to  pay  to  his  Maker.  He  could  make 
her  no  answer. 


The  Little  Flower-Girl.         31 

w  You  behind  time,  General  ?  "  said 
the  voice  of  another  friend  as  he  hur- 
ried past;  and  the  scream  of  the 
warning  whistle  told  the  gentleman 
that  he  had  no  time  to  lose. 

"I'll  see  you  to-morrow.  Good- 
by,  my  child.  God  bless  you,"  he 
said  hurriedly,  and  rushed  away. 

But  just  in  time;  he  was  the  last 
passenger,  and  stepped  upon  the  plat- 
form of  a  car  as  the  train  was  put  in 
motion.  The  jar  threw  him  once 
more  a  little  off  his  balance,  and  he 
caught  by  the  rail  to  save  himself, 
while  again  hasty,  profane  words  rose 
to  his  lips. 

But  they  did  not  pass  them.  What 
though  no  human  ear  should  hear; 
"  God  heard  them  all  the  same,"  and 


32  Daisy's  Work. 

they  were  checked  before  even  the 
summer  wind  could  catch  them;  and 
in  their  place  the  angels  carried  up 
the  heart-breathed  prayer,  "  God  keep 
me  from  them  in  time  to  come." 

His  next  neighbor  in  the  cars 
thought  General  Forster  remarkably 
silent  and  unsociable  that  afternoon. 
He  would  not  talk,  but  buried  him- 
self behind  his  newspaper.  If  the 
neighbor  had  looked  closer  he  would 
have  seen  that  the  General's  eyes 
were  fixed,  not  on  the  paper  held  be- 
fore his  face,  but  on  the  little  pot  of 
daisies  which  rested  on  his  knee. 
And  over  the  delicate  pink  and  white 
blossoms  was  breathed  a  vow,  —  a 
vow  registered  in  heaven  and  faith- 
fully kept  on  earth. 


A   CLUSTER   OF   DAISIES. 


II. 

A  CLUSTER  OF  DAISIES. 


"TWHAT  are  you  thinking  of, 
Frank?"  said  Mrs.  Forster, 
looking  at  her  husband  as  he  stood 
leaning  against  the  casing  of  the  win- 
dow, gazing  thoughtfully  out  at  the 
lovely  garden  beyond. 

"  Of  a  bad  habit  of  mine,"  he  an- 
swered. 

r?You  have  none;  at  least  none 
that  I  cannot  put  up  with,"  she  said 
playfully. 


36  Daisy's  Work. 

"  That's  not  the  question,  dear 
Gertrude,"  he  returned  gravely.  "  It 
is  whether  my  Maker  can  put  up  with 
it,  and  I  believe  that  He  cannot,  since 
he  has  said  He  '  will  not  hold  him 
guiltless  that  taketh  His  name  in 
vain.' r 

Mrs.  Forster  colored  as  she  bent 
her  head  over  the  sleeping  baby  on 
her  lap. 

T  You  did  not  know,  perhaps,"  her 
husband  said,  after  a  minute's  silence, 
"  that  I  was  ever  guilty  of  this  —  sin  ?  " 

??  I  did  know  it,  Frank;  at  least  I 
have  heard  you  now  and  then,  when 
you  were  speaking  to  your  dogs  and 
horses,  or  even  when  you  were  a 
little  impatient  with  the  men.  But 
you  did  not  mean  me  to  hear  such 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  37 

words;  and  I  noticed  you  never  used 
them  in  my  presence." 

"No,"  he  said  a  little  sadly:  "I 
would  not  speak  in  my  wife's  pres- 
ence words  which  were  not  fit  for 
her  to  hear;  but  I  forgot  an  ear  still 
purer,  which  I  was  insulting  and  de- 
fying. That  is  the  second  thrust  I 
have  had  to-day,  Gertrude,  which  has 
made  me  feel  that  I  have  treated  the 
Almighty  with  less  of  reverence  and 
respect  than  I  would  show  to  some 
of  my  fellow-creatures.  Let  me  tell 
you  of  the  innocent  lesson  I  received 
from  the  little  flower-girl,  who  sent 
the  daisies  to  you." 

And  sitting  down  beside  her,  he 
told  her  of  the  teaching  which  had 
come  to  him  from  the  little  wayside 
4 


38  Daisy's  Work. 

blossom;  to  whose  lonely,  thirsting 
heart  his  few  kind  words  and  smiles 
had  been  as  drops  of  dew  from 
heaven. 

But  even  while  they  talked  of  her 
and  her  pretty  lady-like  ways  and 
sayings,  which  seemed  so  far  above 
her  station,  they  did  not  know  she 
was  a  "  Daisy,"  and  that  those  were 
her  namesakes  over  which  Mrs.  Fors- 
ter  bent,  dropping  happy  tears  and 
kisses  on  them,  mingled  with  many  a 
blessing  on  the  little  giver. 

Plucking  one  of  the  flowers  from 
the  stem,  she  opened  her  baby's  tiny 
hand  and  placed  it  within  it.  The 
fairy  fingers  closed  around  it,  clasping 
it  tight,  while  the  unconscious  little 
one  slept  on. 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  39 

"  Her  name  is  Gertrude,  but  we'll 
call  her  Daisy,  Frank,  as  soon  as 
she  is  old  enough  to  be  called  any 
thing  but  baby,"  said  the  young 
mother, "  and  her  pretty  pet  name  may 
serve  as  a  reminder  of  this  day's  les- 
son, if  ever  it  should  be  forgotten." 

:?  You  think  I  may  need  it,"  said 
her  husband,  smiling.  "I  trust  not; 
for  the  sin,  to  say  nothing  of  the  vul- 
garity, of  taking  God's  name  in  vain, 
has  been  set  forth  so  plainly  by  my 
innocent  little  teacher,  that  I  must 
have  a  short  memory,  indeed,  if  I 
failed  to  remember  her  lesson.  She 
thought  gentlemen  must  know  bet- 
ter." 

t?  But,  dear,"  said  the  lady,  "  you 
said  you  would  inquire  about  this 


40  Daisy's  Work. 

child,  and  see  if  we  could  not  be  of 
some  use  to  her." 

w  So  I  did,"  he  answered ;  "  and  so  I 
will,  and  should  have  done  long  since; 
but  day  after  day  I  have  let  business 
or  pleasure  keep  me  till  I  had  but  just 
time  to  catch  the  train,  and  none  to 
bestow  on  the  poor  little  creature 
who  seems  to  have  been  so  grateful 
for  the  few  kind  words  I  have  given 
her.  You  think  I  am  rather  fanciful 
about  this  child,  I  know,  Gertrude; 
but  I  am  convinced  that  some  of  her 
few  years  must  have  been  spent 
among  different  people  than  those  by 
whom  she  is  now  surrounded.  Nor 
am  I  the  only  one  of  her  customers 
who  has  noticed  the  grace  of  her 
speech  and  manners,  so  uncommon 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  41 

in  a  child  of  her  class.  Ward,  and 
others  beside,  have  seen  it;  but  like 
myself  have  never  made  it  their  busi- 
ness to  see  after  her.  However,  to- 
morrow afternoon,  I  shall  make  it  a 
point  to  be  at  the  depot  in  time  to 
have  a  talk  with  her.  I  wonder  if 
the  woman  who  keeps  the  fruit-stall 
at  the  corner,  and  whose  child  I  be- 
lieve she  is,  would  give  her  up  and 
let  her  go  to  school." 

He  was  as  good  as  his  word;  and 
more  than  an  hour  earlier  than  usual, 
our  little  flower-girl  saw  "her  gentle- 
man "  coming  down  the  street  to- 
wards the  depot.  It  was  an  eager, 
wistful  little  face,  with  some  question- 
ing fear  in  it,  that  she  raised  to  him, 
for  she  was  anxious  lest  she  should 

4* 


42  Daisy's  Work. 

have  offended  her  kind  friend,  as  she 
had  learned  to  think  him,  by  her 
plain  speech  of  the  day  before. 

She  had  scarcely  meant  to  speak 
so  plainly ;  the  words  had  seemed  to 
escape  her  without  her  intending  it, 
and,  it  was  true,  had  been  drawn  forth 
by  the  gentleman's  own  questions; 
but  when  she  remembered  them  after- 
wards she  feared  that  he  would  think 
her  rude  and  disrespectful. 

She  need  not  have  been  afraid. 
His  eye  and  voice  were  even  kinder 
than  usual  as  he  came  near  to  her, 
and  he  laid  his  hand  gently  on  her 
head,  saying, — 

K  Well,  my  little  woman !  and  how 
does  the  world  go  with  you  to-day? 
The  lady  told  me  to  thank  you  very 
much  for  the  daisies." 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  43 

The  young  face  brightened. 
"  Did  she  like  them,  sir?  " 
:?  Very  much  indeed,  —  all  the  more 
because  she  has  a  little  one  at  home 
whom   she    is  going  to  call  ?  Daisy ' 
after  your  pretty  flowers." 
"Is  she  your  little  girl,  sir?" 
:?  Yes,  she  is  a  mite  of  a  Daisy,  but 
a  very  precious  one,"  he  answered; 
then    looking   into  the  flushed    face, 
with  its  soft,  shining  eyes  and  parted 
lips,   he   added,  "You   are   a   Daisy 
yourself." 

The  flowers  she  held  dropped  at 
her  feet  unheeded  as  she  clasped  both 
hands  upon  her  breast,  and  with  quick- 
coming  breath  and  filling  eyes,  asked 
eagerly,  w  How  did  you  know  it,  sir? 
how  did  you  know  it?" 


44  Daisy's  Work. 

"  Know  what,  my  child  ?  What 
troubles  you  ?  " 

"  How  did  you  know  I  was  Dai- 
sy?" she  almost  gasped. 

"  I  did  not  know  it,"  he  answered 
in  surprise.  "  Is  your  name  Daisy? 
I  thought  it  was  Margaret." 

"They  call  me  Margaret,  sir, — 
Betty  and  Jack;  but  Daisy  is  my  own, 
own  name,  that  papa  and  mamma 
called  me,"  she  answered,  recovering 
herself  a  little. 

"And  where  are  your  papa  and 
mamma?"  he  asked.  "I  thought  the 
woman  who  keeps  the  fruit-stall  at 
the  corner  was  your  mother." 

"Oh,  no,  sir!  "  she  said.  "  She  is 
only  Betty.  She  is  very  good  to  me, 
but  she  is  not  mamma.  Mamma  was 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  45 

a  lady,"  she  added,  with  simple,  child- 
ish dignity,  which  told  that  she  was 
a  lady  herself. 

"  But  where  are  your  father  and 
mother?"  he  repeated,  with  fresh  in- 
terest in  the  child. 

"Mamma  is  drowned,  sir;  and  we 
could  never  find  papa,"  she  answered, 
with  such  pathos  in  her  tones. 

"  Come  into  the  depot  with  me," 
said  General  Forster :  "  I  want  to  talk 
to  you." 

She  obeyed,  and,  taking  up  her 
basket,  followed  him  into  the  waiting- 
room,  where,  heedless  of  the  many 
curious  eyes  around,  he  made  her  sit 
down  beside  him,  and  drew  from  her 
her  sad,  simple  story  :  —  how  long, 
long  ago  she  had  lived  with  papa  and 


46  Daisy's  Work. 

mamma  and  her  little  brother  and 
baby  sister  in  their  own  lovely  home, 
far  away  from  here;  where  it  was, 
she  did  not  know,  but  in  quite  a  dif- 
ferent place  from  the  great  bus- 
tling city  which  she  had  never  seen 
till  she  came  here  with  Betty  and 
Jack;  how  she  had  left  home  with 
mamma  and  the  baby  on  a  great  ship, 
where  to  go  she  could  not  remem- 
ber ;  how  Betty  was  on  board,  and 
mamma  had  been  kind  to  her;  how 
a  dreadful  storm  had  come  and  there 
was  great  confusion  and  terror;  and 
then  it  seemed  as  if  she  went  to  sleep 
for  a  long,  long  time,  and  knew  noth- 
ing more  till  she  found  herself  living 
with  Betty  and  Jack  in  their  poor 
home  far  up  in  the  city. 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  47 

They  had  been  very  good  to  her, 
nursing  and  caring  for  her  during  the 
many  months  she  had  been  weak  and 
ailing;  and  now  that  she  was  stronger 
and  better,  she  tried  to  help  them 
all  she  could,  keeping  the  two  small 
rooms  tidy,  while  Betty  was  away 
attending  to  her  stall  ;  and  in  the 
afternoon  selling  the  flowers  which 
Jack  raised  in  his  little  garden,  and 
she  arranged  in  tasteful  bouquets. 
And,  lastly,  she  told  how  from  the 
very  first  time  she  had  seen  General 
Forster,  she  thought  he  "  looked  so 
like  papa  "  that  she  felt  as  if  she  must 
love  him,  and  was  so  happy  when  he 
stopped  to  buy  flowers  of  her  and 
spoke  kindly  to  her. 

The  story  was  told  with  a  straight- 


48  Daisy's  Work. 

forward  and  simple  pathos,  which 
went  right  to  the  listener's  heart,  and 
left  him  no  doubt  of  its  truth.  But 
the  child  could  tell  nothing  of  her 
own  name  or  her  parents',  save  that 
she  was  always  called  "Daisy"  at 
home,  and  that  she  had  never  since 
heard  the  familiar  name  until  to-day, 
when  she  thought  this  stranger  had 
given  it  to  her.  Betty  and  Jack  al- 
ways called  her  "Margaret;"  and 
Betty  thought  she  knew  mamma's 
name,  but  she  did  not.  But  she  loved 
daisies  dearly  for  the  sake  of  their 
name,  which  had  been  her  own;  and 
she  had  raised  and  tended  with  loving 
care  the  little  plant  she  had  given  to 
"  my  gentleman  "  as  a  token  of  grati- 
tude for  his  kindness,  and  because  he 
was  "  so  like  papa." 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  49 

Having  learned  all  that  he  could 
from  the  child  herself,  the  gentle- 
man went  to  the  fruit-woman  on  the 
corner. 

w  So,"  he  said,  "the  little  girl  whom 
you  call  Margaret  is  not  your  own 
daughter  ?  " 

"Indade,  no,  sir,"  answered  Betty; 
"  niver  a  daughter  of  me  own  have  I 
barrin'  Jack,  and  he's  not  me  own  at 
all,  but  jist  me  sister's  son  what  died, 
lavin'  him  a  babby  on  me  hands. 
More  betoken  that  it's  not  a  little 
lady  like  her  that  the  likes  of  me 
would  be  raisin',  unless  she'd  none 
of  her  own  to  do  it." 

"  Will  you  tell  me  how  that  came 
about?" 

Betty  told  the  story  in  her  turn, 
5 


50  Daisy's  Work. 

in  as  plain  and  simple  a  manner  as 
the  child's,  though  in  language  far 
different. 

Her  husband  had  been  steward  on 
a  sailing  vessel  running  between  New 
Orleans  and  New  York;  and  about 
three  years  ago,  she,  being  sick  and 
ordered  change  of  air,  had  been  al- 
lowed to  go  with  him  for  the  voyage. 
But  it  made  her  worse  instead  of 
better ;  and  on  the  return  trip  she 
would  have  died,  Betty  declared,  if  it 
had  not  been  for  the  kindness  and 
tender  nursing  of  a  lady,  "Margaret's" 
mother.  This  lady  —  "her  name  had 
been  Saacyfut,  she  believed,  but 
maybe  she  disremembered  intirely, 
for  Margar^  said  it  was  not "  —  was 
on  her  way  to  New  York  with  her 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  5 1 

little  girl  who  was  sick,  a  baby,  and 
a  French  nurse;  but  her  home  was 
neither  there  nor  in  New  Orleans,  — 
at  least  so  the  child  afterwards  said. 

Her  own  account  of  the  storm  was 
the  same  as  the  child's;  but  while  the 
recollection  of  the  little  one  could  go 
no  further,  Betty  remembered  only 
too  well  the  horrors  of  that  day. 

When  it  was  found  that  the  ship 
must  sink,  and  that  all  on  board  must 
leave  her,  there  had  been,  as  the  little 
girl  said,  great  confusion.  How  it 
was,  Betty  could  not  exactly  tell  ; 
she  had  been  placed  in  one  boat,  the 
French  nurse,  with  the  child  in  her 
arms,  beside  her;  and  the  lady  was 
about  to  follow  with  the  infant,  when 
a  spar  fell,  striking  the  Frenchwoman 


52  Daisy's  Work. 

on  the  head  and  killing  her  instantly, 
knocking  overboard  one  of  the  three 
sailors  who  were  in  the  boat, —  while 
at  the  same  time  the  boat  was  parted 
from  the  ship  and  at  the  mercy  of  the 
raging  waves.  In  vain  did  the  two 
sailors  who  were  left  try  to  regain 
the  ship  :  they  were  swept  further 
and  further  away,  and  soon  lost  sight 
of  the  vessel.  They  drifted  about  all 
night,  and  the  next  morning  were 
taken  up  by  a  fishing-smack  which 
brought  them  to  New  York. 

Fright  and  exposure  and  other 
hardships,  while  they  seemed  to  have 
cured  Betty,  were  too  much  for  the 
poor  little  girl,  and  a  long  and  ter- 
rible illness  followed :  after  which 
she  lay  for  months,  too  weak  to  move 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  53 

or  speak,  and  appearing  to  have  lost 
all  memory  and  sense.  And  when  at 
last  she  grew  better  and  stronger,  and 
reason  and  recollection  came  back, 
she  could  not  tell  the  name  of  her 
parents  or  her  home. 

"Margantf  Saacyfut,"  Betty  per- 
sisted in  saying  the  French  nurse  had 
called  her  little  charge,  "  Mamsell 
Margar<2/,"  "and  if  the  lady's  name 
wasn't  Saacyfut  it  was  mightily  nigh 
to  it." 

"  Marguerite  "  had  been  the  French 
woman's  name  for  "  Daisy : "  that  the 
General  saw  plainly  enough,  but  he 
could  make  nothing  of  the  surname. 

"But  did  you  not  seek  for  the 
child's  friends,  Betty?"  he  asked. 

"'Deed  did  I,  sir,"  she  answered. 
5* 


54  Daisy's  Work. 

w  Didn't  I  even  ad^rtise  her,  an'  how 
she  was  to  be  heerd  of,  but  all  to  no 
good.  An'  I  writ  to  New  Orleans  to 
them  what  owned  the  ship,  but  they 
were  that  oncivil  they  niver  answered, 
not  they.  An'  it  took  a  hape  of  money, 
sir,  to  be  payin'  the  paper,  an'  me  such 
hard  work  to  get  along,  an'  Margar^/ 
on  me  hands,  an'  I  had  to  be  done 
with  it.  For  ye  see  me  man  was 
gone  wid  the  ship,  an'  niver  heerd  of 
along  wid  the  rest  to  this  day;  an'  I 
had  to  use  up  the  bit  he'd  put  by 
in  the  savin's  bank  till  the  child  was 
mendin'  enough  for  me  to  lave  her 
wid  Jack." 

"  It  was  a  very  generous  thing  for 
you  to  burden  yourself  with  the  care 
of  her,"  said  General  Forster. 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  55 

"Burden  is  it,  sir?  Niver  a  burden 
was  she,  the  swate  lamb,  not  even 
when  the  sense  had  left  her.  An' 
that  was  what  the  neighbors  was  al- 
ways a  sayin',  and  why  didn't  I  put 
her  in  the  hospital.  An'  why  would 
I  do  that  after  the  mother  of  her 
savin'  me  from  a  buryin'  in  the  say, 
which  I  niver  could  abide.  For  sure 
if  it  hadn't  been  for  the  lady  I'd  'a 
died  on  the  ould  ship,  and  they'd 
'a  chucked  me  overboard  widout 
sayin'  by  your  lave  ;  and  sure  I'd 
niver  have  got  over  such  a  buryin'  as 
that  all  the  days  of  me  life.  And 
would  I  be  turnin'  out  her  child  afther 
that?  An'  isn't  she  payin'  me  for  it 
now,  an'  'arnin'  her  livin,'  an'  mine 
too?  She  an'  Jack  tends  the  bit  of 


56  Daisys  Work. 

a  garden,  an'  arternoons  she  comes 
down  an'  sells  her  flowers,  an' 
where'd  be  the  heart  to  refuse  her 
wid  her  pretty  ways  and  nice  man- 
ners j  a  lady  every  inch  of  her,  like 
her  mother  before  her." 

And  thrusting  her  head  out  from 
her  stall,  Betty  gazed  down  the  street 
with  admiring  affection  on  her  young 
•protegee. 

"  Och  !  but  she's  the  jewel  of  a 
child,"  she  went  on;  "  and  it  is  sur- 
prisin'  how  me  and  Jack  is  improved 
and  become  ginteel  all  along  of  her. 
Ye  see,  sir,  I  did  use  to  say  a  hape  of 
words  that  maybe  wer'n't  jist  so ;  not 
that  I  meant  'em  for  swearin',  but  it 
was  jist  a  way  of  spakin'.  But  after 
Marga;W  began  to  mend  and  get 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  57 

about,  ye  would  have  thought  she 
was  kilt  intirely  if  I  let  one  out  of 
me  mouth.  So  seem'  how  it  hurted 
her,  I  jist  minded  what  I  was  about, 
an'  Jack  the  same,  for  he  was  a  boy 
that  swore  awful,  poor  fellow;  he'd 
been  left  to  himself,  and  how  was  he 
to  know  better?  At  first  him  and  me 
minded  our  tongues,  for  that  the  child 
shouldn't  be  hurted ;  but  by  and  by 
didn't  she  make  it  plain  to  us  that  it 
was  the  great  Lord  himself  what  we 
was  ofFendin',  and  knowin'  she'd  been 
tached  better  nor  me,  I  jist  heeded 
her.  And  now,  sir,  them  words  that 
I  never  thought  no  harm  of  and  used 
to  come  so  aisy,  I  jist  leave  them  out 
of  me  spache  widout  troublin' ;  and  a 
deal  better  it  sounds,  and  widout 


58  Daisy's  Work. 

doubt  more  plasin'  to  Him  that's 
above.  And  Jack  the  same  mostly, 
though  he  does  let  one  slip  now  and 
agin.  So  ye  see,  sir,  it's  not  a  burden 
she  is  at  all,  at  all,  but  jist  a  little  bit 
of  light  and  comfort  to  the  house  that 
houlds  her." 

Glad  to  find  a  listener  in  a  "  gintle- 
man  the  likes  of  him,"  Betty  had 
talked  away  to  the  gentlemen,  so  taken 
up  with  her  story,  that  she  paid  little 
heed  to  the  business  of  her  stall. 
She  made  wrong  change  more  than 
once,  gave  quarts  instead  of  pints, 
oranges  in  place  of  apples,  and  pea- 
nuts for  sugar-plums,  and  provoked 
some  impatient  customers  not  a  little; 
while  one  wicked  boy,  seeing  her  at- 
tention was  taken  up  with  something 


A  Cluster  of  Daisies.  59 

else,  ran  off  without  paying  for  the 
pop-corn  he  asked  for,  and  was  not 
called  back. 

But  Betty  lost  nothing  by  the  time 
and  thought  she  had  given  to  the 
gentleman,  or  the  interest  she  had 
shown  in  her  young  charge,  as  she 
found  when  she  looked  at  the  number 
upon  the  note  he  slipped  into  her 
hand  when  he  left  her:  a  note  which 
the  warm-hearted  Irishwoman  laid  by 
"  to  buy  that  new  gown  and  pair  of 
shoes  Margaret  needed  so  bad." 


THE   DAISY  TRANSPLANTED. 


III. 

THE  DAISY  TRANSPLANTED. 

""DETTY,"  said  General  Forster, 
stopping  the  next  morning  at 
the  fruit- woman's  stall,  "  could  you 
make  up  your  mind  to  give  up  that 
little  girl  if  you  were  sure  it  was  for 
her  good?" 

Betty  sighed  and  shook  her  head 
mournfully  as  she  answered,  — 

"I've  always  looked  to  give  her 
up,  sir,  if  them  Saacyfuts,  or  what- 
ever their  name  '11  be,  turned  up,  and 
if  it  was  for  her  good,  sorra  a  word 


64  Daisy's  Work. 

would  they  hear  out  of  me,  though  I 
won't  say  but  it  would  go  hard  with 
me  and  Jack.  But  ye'll  not  be  tellin' 
me  ye've  been  findin'  her  friends  since 
last  night,  sir?" 

"Not  the  people  she  belongs  to, 
certainly,  Betty  ;  but  I  have  found 
those  who  will  be  friends  to  her,  and 
provide  for  her,  if  you  will  consent. 
She  should  go  to  school  and  be  well 
taught:  do  you  not  think  so?" 

"  Indade,  an'  there's  none  knows 
that  better  nor  meself,  sir.  An'  is  it 
yerself  that's  the  friend  ye're  spakin' 
of?"  and  Betty  gave  a  searching  look 
into  the  gentleman's  face. 

He  smiled.  "Yes,"  he  said:  "I 
would  like  to  put  her  to  school  and 
take  care  of  her.  She  seems  a  sweet 


The  Daisy  Transplanted.        65 

child,  and  a  good  one.  And  you  see, 
Betty,  I  have  it  in  my  power  to  do 
more  to  find  her  friends  than  you  are 
able  to  do,  and  we  may  trace  them  yet. 
If  we  never  find  them,  I  will  prom- 
ise to  provide  for  her  as  long  as  it  may 
be  necessary.  Are  you  willing?" 

Betty  again  stared  into  the  face  of 
her  questioner  as  if  she  would  look 
him  through. 

w  I'm  sinsible  of  your  kindness, 
sir,"  she  answered;  "but  ye  see  I'm 
in  a  way  risponsible  for  the  child,  not 
to  say  that  she  is  as  dear  to  me  as  me 
own  flesh  and  blood,  and  I'd  say 
ryis,'  and  thank  ye  kindly,  but — 
ye'll  excuse  me  plain  spakin'  —  ye're 
a  stranger  to  me,  and  I  couldn't  be 

partin'   wid    Marga?r^  widout  I  was 
6* 


66      .  Daisy's  Work. 

certified  as  to  yer  kanzd:er.  For  if  I 
didn't  think  she'd  be  brought  up  right, 
niver  a  foot  should  she  stir  to  go  wid 
ye.  I  seen  Miss  Gertrude  Allston  a 
walkin'  wid  ye  once  last  summer,  sir, 
jist  after  I  set  up  me  stand  here,  but 
she  niver  heeded  me  wid  her  swate 
face.  But  I  used  to  be  laundress  in 
her  mother's  house  afore  I  was  mar- 
ried, and  a  swate  child  was  Miss 
Gertrude  and  a  good  as  ye're  sa}dn' 
of  Margantf,  and  she'll  niver  go  far 
wrong,  I'll  answer  for  it.  So,  if  ye'll 
jist  bring  me  a  line  from  her  and 
she  says  ye're  all  right,  I'll  not  say 
ye  nay." 

General  Forster  laughed  heartily, 
not  one  whit  offended  at  Betty's 
"plain  spakin'." 


The  Daisy  Transplanted.        67 

"  Miss  Gertrude  Allston,  as  you 
call  her,  will  give  me  all  the  lines 
you  want,  Betty;  and  she  thought  me 
right  enough  to  marry  me.  She  is 
my  wife,  —  Mrs.  Forster." 

"An'  is  it  so,  sir?"  said  Betty, 
dropping  the  rosy-cheeked  apple  she 
was  polishing,  and  gazing  at  the 
gentleman  with  a  mixture  of  curi- 
osity and  admiration  that  was  droll  to 
see.  "Well,  but  ye're  in  luck;  and 
if  it's  Miss  Gertrude  that  has  the 
managin'  of  ye,  that's  kararter  enough 
of  itself,  an'  I'll  say  take  the  child  an' 
my  blessin'  on  all  of  yees.  But  when 
she  gets  among  yer  fine  folks,  ye'll 
not  let  her  be  forgettin'  the  woman 
what  cared  for  her  when  there  was 
none  else  to  do  it:  will  ye,  sir?  An' 


68  Daisy's  Work. 

ye'll  be  lettin'  me  see  her  once  in  a 
while?" 

There  is  no  need  to  say  that  this  was 
readily  promised,  and  the  General 
went  on  to  tell  Betty  what  plans  he 
and  his  wife  had  for  Daisy.  She  was 
to  be  taken  for  a  while  to  his  home, 
where  Mrs.  Forster  would  provide  her 
with  proper  clothing;  and  then  send 
her  to  Miss  Collins'  boarding-school 
to  be  taught  and  trained  in  a  way  to 
satisfy  her  friends  if  they  should  ever 
find  her,  or  that  she  might  one  day 
be  able  to  earn  her  own  living,  if  it 
should  be  needful. 

"  An'  I'm  glad  she  should  have  the 
bringin'  up  of  a  lady  which  is  what 
I  couldn't  give  her,"  said  Betty,  with 
another  sigh,  for  it  went  to  her  heart 


The  Daisy  Transplanted.       69 

to  part  with  her  darling;  "but  ye'll 
not  be  able  to  make  her  more  of  a 
lady  nor  she  is  now  ;  no,  not  if  ye 
dress  her  in  gould  and  jewels,  an'  silks 
an'  satins.  Niver  a  rough  word  nor 
way  has  she  with  her,  if  she  has  been 
with  me  and  Jack  more  nor  two  year, 
nor  ye  couldn't  find  a  purtier  behaved 
child  in  all  the  land." 

An  hour  or  two  later,  Betty,  hav- 
ing found  a  friend  to  "mind"  her 
stall  for  her,  guided  General  Forster 
to  the  tiny  house  in  the  suburbs  of 
the  city  where  she  lived  with  Daisy 
and  Jack. 

The  two  children  were  out  in  the 
little  garden  gathering  the  flowers 
which  were  to  be  tied  up  in  bouquets 
for  Daisy's  afternoon  sale;  and  great 


70  Daisy's  Work. 

was  their  surprise,  when  the  sound  of 
the  gate-latch  causing  them  to  look 
up,  they  saw  Betty  coming  home  at 
this  unusual  hour  of  the  day,  and  the 
gentleman  with  her.  Their  business 
was  soon  told  ;  but  although  Daisy 
flushed  and  smiled  with  astonishment 
and  delight  when  she  heard  what  the 
"gentleman  who  looked  so  like  papa" 
meant  to  do  for  her,  the  little  face 
soon  shadowed  over  again,  and  she 
shook  her  head  gently  but  firmly 
when  she  was  asked  if  she  would 

g°- 

"An'  why  for   no,  dear?"    asked 

Betty.  "  Sure  ye'd  niver  be  for 
throwin'  away  a  chance  the  likes  of 
that,  not  to  spake  of  it's  bein'  ongrate- 
ful  to  the  gintleman's  kindness,  an'  he 


The  Daisy  Transplanted.        7 1 

no  more  nor  less  than  the  husband  of 
Miss  Gertrude." 

But  Daisy  shook  her  head  again; 
and  then  first  begging  the  gentle- 
man's pardon,  as  a  polite  little  girl 
should  do,  stepped  up  to  her  faithful 
friend,  and  putting  her  arms  about 
her  neck  whispered  something  in  her 
ear. 

The  tears  she  had  before  with 
trouble  kept  back  now  started  to 
Betty's  eyes. 

"  Och,  an'  is  it  that,  honey  ? "  she 
said  in  her  broadest  brogue,  "an' 
ye'll  not  let  that  be  thrubblin'  yer 
dear  heart.  What  a  tinder,  grateful 
little  sowl  it  is!  Ye  see,  sir,"  she 
went  on,  turning  to  the  General,  while 
she  smoothed  with  her  loving  hand 


72  Daisy's  Work. 

the  little  head  which  lay  upon  her 
breast,  "ye  see,  sir,  it's  just  as  I  tellt 
ye.  She's  a  lady,  every  inch  of  her, 
an'  has  feelin's  that's  jist  oncommon. 
An'  there's  a  matter  of  back  rint  jew, 
it's  more'n  a  year,  though  me  land- 
lord he's  as  good  as  gould,  an'  a  bill 
at  the  poticary's,  an'  little  scores  at 
the  baker's  an'  grocers  what  I  niver 
got  paid  off  yet,  not  since  the  child 
was  sick  an'  I  couldn't  rightly  make 
things  go;  an'  she  says  she  won't  be 
lavin'  us  now  that  she  can  turn  a 

i, 

penny  wid  her  posies  an'  help  along." 
Drawing  the  child  to  him,  General 
Forster  whispered  to  her  in  his  turn, 
promising  that  the  "back  rint"  and 
other  "scores"  should  be  paid  off 
without  delay  if  she  would  but  come 


The  Daisy  Transplanted.        73 

with  him;  and  Daisy,  feeling  herself 
nearer  home  and  friends  than  she  had 
ever  done  since  the  dreadful  day  of 
the  shipwreck,  when  she  was  parted 
from  "  mamma,"  put  her  hand  trust- 
ingly in  his  to  be  led  where  he 
would. 

But  the  parting  went  hard.  Daisy 
could  not  leave  those  who  had  been 
so  kind,  and  shared  their  little  all 
with  her,  without  many  a  bitter  tear. 
Betty  kissed  her  and  clung  to  her 
and  called  down  all  heaven's  bless- 
ings on  her  head;  and  Jack  hung 
over  the  gate,  uttering  frantic  howls 
as  he  watched  the  sobbing  child  led 
away  by  her  new  protector.  Not 
one  thought  gave  Jack  to  his  fourteen 
years;  not  one  to  the  "fellers  from 
7 


74  Daisy's  Work. 

beyant  the  lot,"  who,  drawn  by  his 
cries,  came  flocking  to  see  what  ailed 
him  who  was  all  their  terror  and 
admiration:  their  admiration,  because 
he  was  bigger,  stronger,  braver  than 
any  other  boy  of  his  age  among  their 
crew;  their  terror,  because  of  late  he 
allowed  no  bad  word  to  be  used  in 
his  presence,  banishing  all  who  of- 
fended in  that  way  from  their  games, 
choosing  as  his  favorites  and  chief 
companions  those  who  were  most 
careful  not  to  take  God's  name  in 
'vain.  So  cursing  and  swearing  had 
come  to  be  much  less  frequent  than 
of  old  among  the  lanes  and  lots  lying 
around  the  humble  house  where  the 
little  Daisy  had  bloomed  and  grown 
during  the  last  two  years,  dropping 


The  Daisy  Transplanted.        75 

upon  the  path  which  God  had  chosen 
for  her  good  seed  of  which  she  knew 
not  herself. 

Betty  went  back  to  her  stand  with 
a  heavy  heart,  knowing  that  when 
she  went  home  that  night  she  should 
miss  the  sweet  little  face  which  had 
brightened  and  cheered  her  after  many 
a  hard  day's  work;  but  she  was  half- 
consoled  for  her  own  loss  when  she 
saw  Daisy  coming  down  the  street 
holding  General  Forster's  hand.  For 
the  General's  first  care  had  been  to  _ 
take  the  little  girl  to  a  place  where 
children's  clothes  could  be  had  ready- 
made;  and  where  he  had  her  fitted 
out,  as  Betty  said,  K  as  nice  as  a  new 
pin  and  as  became  the  little  lady  she 
was  by  right." 


76  Daisy's  Work. 

But  Daisy  was  as  much  a  lady  in 
the  coarse  but  clean  calico  frock  and 
patched  shoes  she  had  worn  yester- 
day, as  she  was  now  in  the  nice 
clothes  provided  for  her  by  General 
Forster;  for  it  was  the  sweet  manners 
and  pretty  ways  she  had  never  lost 
which  made  her  so,  and  the  new  gar- 
ments covered  as  warm  and  loving  a 
little  heart  as  the  old  ones  had  done. 
And  so  Betty  found,  and  knew  that 
pride  would  have  no  place  there, 
when,  as  she  reached  the  stand,  Daisy 
drew  her  hand  from  the  gentleman's, 
and  running  behind  the  stall  as  she 
had  many  a  time  done  when  she  was 
eager  to  show  Betty  what  a  good 
afternoon's  sale  she  had  made  with 
her  flowers,  threw  her  arms  about 


The  Daisy  Transplanted.        77 

her  neck  and  kissed  her  again  and 
again  as  lovingly  as  she  had  done 
when  she  had  no  other  friend  in  the 
world. 

Gentle  Mrs.  Forster  gave  Daisy  a 
warm  welcome  to  her  new  home ; 
and  the  manner  in  which  the  child 
fell  at  once  into  the  ways  and  habits 
of  those  about  her  plainly  showed 
that  they  were  not  new  to  her,  but 
that  she  had  at  some  time  been  well 
accustomed  to  a  different  life  than 
that  she  had  led  for  the  last  two 
years. 

She  had  ways  of  her  own,  too,  that 
were  very  charming:  a  pretty,  dainty 
grace  in  her  behavior  and  speech;  a 
thoughtfulness  and  care  for  others, 
surprising  in  any  child  of  her  age,  — 
7* 


78  Daisy's  Work. 

for  Daisy  could  not  be  more  than 
eight  years  old,  —  and  particularly  so 
for  one  who  had  had  little  teaching  for 
some  time.  It  was  easy  to  see  that 
Daisy  had  received  careful  training 
at  one  time,  and  that  the  lessons  then 
learned  had  taken  deep  root  and  were 
not  yet  forgotten  in  spite  of  the  long 
separation  from  her  home  and  friends. 
It  had  been  intended,  as  General 
Forster  told  Betty,  to  send  the  little 
girl  to  boarding-school  at  Miss  Col- 
lins' ;  but  she  soon  grew  so  closely 
to  the  hearts  of  her  new  friends  that 
they  felt  as  if  they  could  not  bear  to 
part  with  her;  and  it  was  at  last  set- 
tled that  her  home  was  to  be  with 
them  for  the  present,  at  least,  and 
that  she  should  only  go  to  Miss  Col- 


The  Daisy  Transplanted.        79 

lins  for  the  morning,  as  most  of  the 
other  little  girls  in  Glenwood  did. 

Mrs.  Forster  could  not  bear  to  send 
from  her  this  loving  child,  whose 
greatest  happiness  seemed  to  be  in 
making  others  happy,  and  she  grew 
every  day  more  and  more  interesting 
as  the  familiar  objects  and  customs 
about  her  called  up  past  recollections 
of  the  home  and  parents  she  had  lost. 
She  would  watch  the  General  for 
hours  at  a  time,  as  he  sat  reading  or 
writing,  or  follow  him  with  wistful 
eyes  as  he  mounted  his  horse  and 
rode  down  the  broad  avenue  "just 
like  papa ; "  would  hang  over  the 
lesser  Daisy  as  she  lay  sleeping, 
:?  'cause  she  looks  just  as  our  baby  at 
home  used  to,"  and  delighted  to  wait 


8o  Daisys  Work. 

upon  her  and  Mrs.  Forster  in  a  dainty, 
neat-handed  manner,  which  showed 
that  such  loving  service  came  quite 
naturally  to  her. 

She  never  called  the  infant  "baby," 
as  the  rest  of  the  family  did.  With 
her  it  was  always  "  little  Daisy."  She 
seemed  to  love  the  pretty  name,  either 
given  to  herself  or  another;  and  all 
the  variety  of  choice  flowers  with 
which  General  Forster's  garden  was 
filled  could  not  win  her  chief  affec- 
tion from  her  old  favorite  daisies, 
:0cause  mamma  loved  them  so  and 
named  me  after  them." 

But  though  she  remembered  so 
much,  the  child  could  not  recall  the 
name  of  her  parents,  or  where  they 
had  lived.  Their  name  "was  not 


The  Daisy  Transplanted.       81 

what  Betty  called  it,"  she  was  sure; 
but  none  the  less  had  it  passed  from 
her  mind. 

"Francine,"  the  French  bonne,  used 
to  call  mamma  "  Madame,"  and  her- 
self "Mademoiselle  Marguerite;"  but 
when  she  was  asked  what  other  peo- 
ple used  to  call  mamma  and  papa,  the 
little  face  grew  clouded  and  pained 
with  the  effort  to  remember;  and 
when  name  after  name  was  men- 
tioned to  her,  she  shook  her  head  at 
each  one. 

The  General  tried  by  every  means 
in  his  power  to  discover  the  friends 
who  must  still  be  mourning  the  loss 
of  their  sweet  little  daisy  blossom, 
but  all  in  vain;  and  as  week  after 
week  went  by,  he  and  his  wife  de- 


82  Daisy's  Work. 

cided  that  they  could  not  send  her 
forth  from  their  own  roof  unless  her 
relations  came  to  claim  her.  She 
was  an  added  ray  of  light  where 
all  had  been  brightness  and  sun- 
shine before,  —  a  lovely,  precious  lit- 
tle flower,  lending  new  fragrance 
and  beauty  to  the  home  where  she 
blossomed. 


DAISY'S   SISTER  FLOWERETS. 


IV. 

DAISY'S   SISTER  FLOWERETS. 

OODNESS  gracious  !  mercy 
me  !  " 

"I  didn't  mean  to,  Susy;  'pon  my 
word  and  honor  I  didn't;  just  as  sure 
as  I'm  alive." 

Such  were  the  words  uttered  by 
two  different  little  voices  which  our 
Daisy  heard,  as  holding  by  General 
Forster's  hand,  she  reached  the  gate 
of  Miss  Collins'  garden  on  the  first 
morning  of  her  going  to  school  in 

Glenwood. 

8 


86  Daisy's  Work. 

Now  would  it  not  have  been 
thought  that  some  terrible  misfortune 
must  have  called  forth  that  excla- 
mation from  the  first  young  speaker; 
or  that  the  second  thought  herself 
accused  of  some  dreadful  crime,  and 
that  she  must  prove  her  innocence  at 
once  by  all  the  strong  words  she 
could  think  of,  if  she  would  escape 
severe  punishment? 

And  what  was  this  mighty  matter? 

Why,  just  this. 

Susy  Edwards  and  several  of  her 
schoolmates  were  w  making  a  land  of 
Egypt."  For  of  late  the  geography 
lesson  of  the  young  class  had  been 
upon  that  country,  and  they  had  been 
much  interested  in  the  pictures  of 
the  pyramids  and  Sphinx.  And  Susy, 


Daisy's  Sister  Flowerets.        87 

who  tf  liked  to  make  her  knowledge 
of  use  in  her  plays,"  and  who  was 
considered  by  the  other  children  to 
have  a  great  genius  in  that  way,  had 
proposed  that  they  should  turn  a  por- 
tion of  their  play-ground  into  Egypt. 
This  was  thought  a  capital  plan,  and 
the  recess  of  the  day  before  had  been 
employed  in  this  way,  —  the  little 
planners  and  builders  leaving  it  with 
great  regret,  and  returning  to  it  be- 
fore school-time  that  morning  with 
fresh  pleasure  and  some  new  ideas. 

The  gravel  walk  was  supposed  to 
be  the  desert;  the  trough  which  led 
the  waste  water  from  the  spring,  the 
River  Nile;  while  a  jointed  wooden 
doll,  cruelly  deprived  for  the  purpose 
of  all  its  limbs,  had  half  of  its  re- 


88  Daisy's  Work. 

mainder  buried  in  the  gravel,  to  rep- 
resent the  Sphinx.  Any  number  of 
pyramids,  four  or  five  inches  high, 
had  been  built  out  of  pebbles,  and 
several  were  still  going  up. 

And  Lily  Ward,  the  pet  and  dar- 
ling of  the  school,  the  youngest  child, 
and  till  that  day  the  newest  scholar 
there,  had  brought  that  morning  a 
tiny  doll's  bath-tub,  with  a  doll  to 
match  lying  in  it,  saying  it  was  to  be 
"Moses  in  the  bulrushes,  for  it  could'nt 
be  a  real  land  of  Egypt  without  a 
Moses." 

Lily's  idea  was  received  with  great 
applause  and  admiration,  and  she  felt 
rather  proud  of  it  herself  when  she 
heard  it  so  much  praised. 

But  a  difficulty  arose.     The  little 


Daisy's  Sister  Flowerets.        89 

tub  did  duty  for  the  ark  of  bulrushes 
most  beautifully,  it  was  "  so  real  and 
so  cunning;"  and  never  was  a  meeker 
baby  than  the  one  which  lay  so  quietly 
within  it.  But  he  must  be  hidden, 
and  nothing  could  be  found  to  answer 
for  flags.  The  grass  about  the  mock 
River  Nile  was  quite  too  short  for  that 
purpose,  trampled  on  as  it  was  through 
each  day's  playtime  by  at  least  twenty 
pairs  of  little  feet ;  and  the  willow 
twigs  which  Lola  Swan  planted 
would  not  stand  up  straight  enough 
to  make  a  shade  for  the  ark. 

"There  isn't  time  to  plant  them 
deep  enough,"  said  Lola;  "the  school- 
bell  will  ring  in  a  few  moments,  and 
then  we'll  have  to  leave  it." 

"And  the  sun  will  go  and  come 
8* 


90  Daisy's  Work. 

round  here  before  recess,"  said  Lily, 
in  a  tone  of  distress,  "  and  Moses  will 
be  all  sunburned.  Besides,  it  isn't  a 
bit  real:  they  never  leave  babies  lying 
out  in  the  sun." 

"  Put  him  out  on  the  grass  and  turn 
the  ark  upside-down  over  him  till  we 
come  out  again,"  said  Susy. 

But  Lily  scouted  the  idea  of  having 
her  Moses  treated  in  this  way;  and 
all  began  at  once  to  deepen  the  holes 
for  the  willow  twigs  before  the  bell 
should  ring. 

But  suddenly  a  bright  thought 
struck  Lily. 

"Let's  play  Moses'  mother  and 
Miriam  put  a  pyramid  over  him," 
she  said.  "  We  could  do  that  pretty 
quick,  and  it  will  be  nice  and  shady 


Daisy's  Sister  Flowerets.        91 

for  him,  and  very  real  too,  'cause  they 
did  have  pyramids  in  Egypt." 

All  agreed  readily,  for  this  was 
thought  an  excellent  arrangement, 
and  they  fell  to  work  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible; while  Bessie  Norton  whispered 
to  Violet  Swan,  "  What  a  smart  child 
Lily  is,  isn't  she  ?  " 

:?Yes,"  said  Violet,  in  the  same 
tone,  "very;  and  I  expect  when  she  is 
grown  up  she  will  do  something  very 
remarkable." 

"What?"  asked  Susy  Edwards, 
who  heard  them. 

"  Be  a  genius,  I  expect,"  answered 
Violet,  solemnly. 

"  Oh,  how  nice!  "  said  Bessie,  who 
had  not  the  least  idea  what  genius 
meant,  but  did  not  like  to  say  so. 


92  Daisys  Work. 

The  pyramid  over  the  sleeping 
Moses  was  nearly  completed,  the  lit- 
tle builders  expecting  each  moment 
to  hear  the  bell,  when  Lola  Swan, 
coming  with  a  fresh  supply  of  peb- 
bles, tripped  over  a  stick  which  lay 
upon  the  grass,  and,  trying  to  recover 
herself,  let  her  load  fall  around  and 
upon  the  half-built  pyramid,  knock- 
ing down  half  a  dozen  or  so  of  the 
stones  which  composed  it.  Not 
much  harm  was  done,  but  Susy 
immediately  exclaimed,  — 

"Goodness  gracious!  mercy  me!" 
and  Lola  answered  as  you  have  heard 
in  the  words  which  met  Daisy's  ear 
as  she  and  General  Forster  entered 
the  garden. 

The  click  of  the  gate-latch  caused 


Daisy's  Sister  Flowerets.        93 

all  the  children  to  look  up,  and  Moses 
and  the  pyramids  were  for  the  mo- 
ment forgotten  at  the  sight  of  the 
new  scholar. 

"  Why !  there's  Daisy  Forster,"  said 
Lily,  for  Daisy  was  now  known  by 
this  name. 

"  I  wonder  if  she's  coming  here  to 
school,"  said  another;  and  that  ques- 
tion was  speedily  answered,  as,  stop- 
ping by  the  little  group,  the  General, 
whom  all  knew  and  liked,  said, 
t?  Here's  a  new  schoolmate  for  you. 
Will  you  be  kind  to  her,  and  make 
her  feel  at  home?" 

"Yes,  sir,  we  will;  and  I'll  take 
care  of  her,"  said  Lily,  scrambling  to 
her  feet  and  taking  Daisy's  hand  in  a 
patronizing  manner.  w  She  won't  feel 


94  Daisys  Work. 

much  strange  after  one  day,  'cause 
we'll  all  be  good  to  her,  and  she  shall 
help  us  make  our  land  of  Egypt." 

"  Ah  I  that  is  what  you  are  doing, 
is  it?"  said  the  General. 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Lily;  "we're 
just  putting  a  pyramid  over  Moses  in 
the  bulrushes,  'cause  we  hav'n't  time 
to  fix  so  many  bulrushes  till  recess. 
And  part  of  it  is  knocked  down. 
Lola  did  it,  but  she  didn't  mean  to, 
and  if  you  peep  in  there  between 
those  stones  you  can  see  a  little  bit 
of  the  ark  and  Moses'  dear  little 
china  arm  poking  up.  Please  to 
peek,  sir." 

The  General  did  as  he  was  re- 
quested, saying  that  he  saw  Moses 
quite  plainly. 


Daisy's  Sister  Flowerets.         95 

"It  is'nt  much  matter  if  we  do 
have  to  leave  him  now,"  said  Lily; 
"  he's  pretty  nicely  covered  up." 

"  I  think  so,"  said  the  General, 
gravely;  "and  if  I  were  Moses,  with 
a  pyramid  being  built  over  me,  I 
think  I  should  prefer  to  have  a  small 
breathing-hole  left."  • 

"Why,  so  he  would,"  said  Lily; 
"  and  now  we  can  leave  him  nicely 
fixed,  and  play  he's  very  comfortable 
in  his  pyramid,  even  if  it's  not  quite 
done." 

Lily  being  satisfied  with  the  fate  of 
Moses,  all  the  rest  were  so;  and  the 
bell  now  ringing,  the  little  group 
turned  towards  the  house.  Daisy 
wondering,  as  well  she  might,  that  a 
matter  which  was  so  easily  settled 


96  Daisy's  Work. 

should  call  for  such  violent  expres- 
sions of  distress  and  alarm  as  she 
had  heard  from  two  of  the  little 
girls. 

w  Why,  Miss  Collins,"  said  General 
Forster,  as  that  lady  met  them  at  the 
door,  "what  a  bouquet  of  flowers  you 
have  here!  A  Rose,  a  Violet,  a 
Daisy,  and  a  Lily;  as  choice  a  nose- 
gay as  one  could  wish  for." 

"  And  the  Lily  is  going  to  take  care 
of  the  Daisy,  and  make  her  feel  to 
home,  Miss  Collins,"  said  Lily,  who 
still  held  Daisy's  hand.  "  The  Gen- 
eral said  I  could." 

"  No,  he  didn't,"  said  Susy. 

:?Yes,  he  did,  'pon  my  word  he 
did;  least  I  said  I  would  do  it,  and 
he  didn't  say  I  couldn't:  did  you, 


Daisys  Sister  Flowerets.         97 

sir?"  said  Lily,  throwing  back  her 
head  to  look  up  at  the  General's  tall 
figure. 

"  And  that  comes  to  the  same  thing, 
does  it,  Lily?"  he  said,  laughing; 
"  well,  I  suppose  it  does ;  and  I  promise 
you  shall  look  after  Daisy  till  she  feels 
no  longer  a  stranger  among  you." 

"  She  knows  me,  and  Loly  and  Vior 
let,  as  well  as  any  thing,"  said  Lily; 
for  the  little  girls  had  met  several 
times  before,  and  Lily  felt  herself  and 
the  two  Swans  to  be  on  rather  inti- 
mate terms  with  Daisy  Forster. 

"All  right,  then.  I  leave  her  to 
you.  Good-morning,  Miss  Collins," 
and  with  a  bow  to  the  lady,  with  whom 
he  had  before  made  all  the  necessary 
arrangements  for  Daisy,  a  pleasant 


98  Daisy's  Work. 

nod  for  the  little  ones,  and  a  kiss  for 
Daisy,  he  went  away. 

Daisy  felt  rather  lonely  when  he 
was  gone,  in  spite  of  Miss  Collins' 
kind  look,  Lily's  tight  clasp  of  the 
hand,  and  Violet's,  "  We  have  real 
nice  times  in  school.  Don't  be  afraid." 
For  she  was  far  more  shy  with  chil- 
dren than  she  was  with  grown  people, 
probably  because  she  had  never  had 
any  companions  of  her  own  age;  and 
the  number  of  young  faces,  most  of 
them  strange,  about  her,  made  her 
long  to  be  back  again  at  Mrs.  Fors- 
ter's  side.  And  they  all  looked  at 
her  a  good  deal,  for  her  story  was  well 
known  among  them,  and  she  was  an 
object  of  great  curiosity. 

Lily  observed  this,  as  she  took  her 


Daisy's  Sister  Flowerets.        99 

seat  with  Daisy  beside  her,  and 
thought  she  must  speak  up  for  her 
charge. 

"  Miss  Collins,"  she  said,  w  please  to 
make  a  rule." 

"Well,"  said  Miss  Collins,  smiling; 
for  Lily  was  constantly  asking  for 
new  rules  concerning  things  which 
did  not  suit  her.  She  had  begun  with 
this  more  than  a  year  ago  when  she 
was  only  a  visitor  at  the  school;  and 
she  was  even  now  not  a  regular  schol- 
ar, but  only  coming  for  a  few  weeks. 
For  her  papa  and  mamma  had  gone 
on  a  journey,  and  Lily,  being  lonely 
at  home  when  Ella  and  the  boys  were 
at  school,  it  had  been  arranged  that 
she  was  to  go  with  Ella  in  the  morn- 
ing. So  she  was  rather  a  privileged 


ioo  Daisy's  Work. 

person,  and  spoke  her  mind  freely 
concerning  that  which  did  not  please 
her,  which  the  other  children  thought 
rather  a  joke,  and  were  generally 
ready  enough  to  fall  in  with  Lily's 
rules.  So  now  they  all  listened. 

w  Please  to  make  a  rule  that  nobody 
must  stare,  ma'am,"  said  Lily :  w  it 
makes  people  feel  so  to  be  stared  at," 
—  and  Lily  put  up  both  hands  to  her 
cheeks,  —  "  specially  if  they  are  new." 

"Very  true,"  answered  Miss  Col- 
lins: "let  us  all  try  to  remember  the 
Golden  Rule,  and  then  we  shall 
neither  stare  nor  do  any  thing  else 
to  hurt  another's  feelings." 

Then  she  struck  the  little  bell  which 
stood  upon  her  table,  and  all  knew 
that.school  had  begun,  and  they  must 
be  quiet. 


Daisy's  Sister  Flowerets.       101 

Next  calling  Bessie  Norton  to  her, 
Miss  Collins  gave  her  a  number  of 
Bibles,  and  the  little  girl  handed  one 
to  each  of  her  classmates.  Then 
Miss  Collins  read  a  verse  aloud,  and 
the  children  followed,  each  in  her 
turn. 

"  Minnie  Grey  may  take  the  Bibles," 
said  Miss  Collins  when  this  was  done. 

Minnie  rose,  and  went  from  one 
to  another  collecting  the  Bibles.  But 
instead  of  taking  as  many  as  she 
could  conveniently  carry  at  one  time, 
giving  them  to  Miss  Collins,  and  com- 
ing back  for  the  rest,  she  went  on 
piling  one  on  top  of  another,  till  one 
arm  was  quite  full,  when  she  came  to 
Daisy  and  held  out  her  other  hand  for 
her  book.  As  she  did  so,  the  top  one 


102  Daisy's  Work. 

of  the  pile  fell  to  the  floor.  Minnie 
stooped  for  it,  and  down  went  two  or 
three  more. 

"Oh!  bother  the  old  things,"  said 
Minnie,  in  a  low  voice,  but  very  impa- 
tiently. 

Daisy  had  stooped  to  help  her  pick 
up  the  Bibles,  but  the  glow  her  cheeks 
wore  when  she  raised  her  head  again 
was  not  all  owing  to  that. 

Bother  the  old  things !  What  old 
things  ?  Why,  the  Bibles,  God's  own 
Holy  Word. 

Daisy  was  very  much  shocked,  and 
she  looked  up  at  Miss  Collins,  expect- 
ing to  hear  her  reprove  such  wicked 
words,  she  thought  them. 

But  Miss  Collins  had  not  heard 
Minnie's  exclamation,  though  the 


Daisy's  Sister  Flowerets.       103 

noise  of  the  falling  books  had  called 
her  attention  that  way,  and  she  said,  — 

"Minnie,  my  dear,  you  are  care- 
less with  those  Bibles:  do  you  forget 
whose  books  they  are  ?  " 

"  I  don't  care,"  muttered  Minnie, 
but  not  so  that  the  lady  could  hear. 
Daisy  heard  again;  and  the  thought 
passed  through  her  mind,  "  What  a 
wicked  little  girl  Minnie  must  be!" 

And  yet  Daisy  was  mistaken.  If 
she  had  asked  Minnie's  parents, 
teacher,  or  playmates,  they  would  all 
have  told  her  that  Minnie  was  an  un- 
commonly good  and  pleasant  little 
girl;  truthful,  obedient,  industrious, 
and  generous  and  obliging  towards 
others.  She  had  no  thought  now  that 
she  was  breaking  one  of  God's  com- 


104 


Daisy's  Work. 


mandments ;  and  she  would  have  been 
both  offended  and  grieved,  if  she  had 
known  what  was  in  Daisy's  mind, 
believing  herself,  as  she  did,  to  be  in- 
nocent of  any  wrong. 


DAISY   AT    STUDY. 


V. 

DAISY  AT  STUDY. 

1P\AISY  was  soon  at  home  with  her 
schoolmates,  and  a  great  favorite 
among  them. 

It  was  not  strange  that  they  liked 
and  were  interested  in  her.  She  was 
such  a  gentle,  modest,  amiable  little 
girl;  watching  and  joining  in  the 
games  and  lessons  of  the  others  with 
a  kind  of  innocent  wonder  which 
amused  and  touched  them  all.  For 
Daisy  was  not  at  all  accustomed  to  be 
with  children  of  her  own  age,  and 
their  ways  were  all  new  to  her. 


io8  Daisy  s  Work. 

And  of  course  she  was  behind  all 
the  rest  in  her  studies.  She  could 
not  even  read  as  well  as  Lily  Ward  ; 
and  had  to  begin  with  the  simplest 
lessons,  such  as  Lily  and  two  or  three 
of  the  very  youngest  children  learned. 
At  first  this  troubled  her,  and  she 
feared  the  rest  of  the  class  would 
laugh  at  her. 

But  she  soon  found  she  need  not 
have  been  afraid  of  that,  for  the  rule 
of  Miss  Collins'  infant  class  was  the 
law  of  kindness;  and  any  one  of  the 
little  girls  would  have  thought  it 
almost  a  crime  to  laugh  or  mock  at 
Daisy,  for  that  which  was  her  mis- 
fortune and  not  her  fault. 

They  might  now  and  then  fall  out 
a  little  among  themselves,  for  they 


Daisy  at  Study.  109 

were  by  no  means  perfect  children  ; 
sometimes  there  would  be  some  self- 
ishness shown,  or  even  a  few  angry 
words  pass  from  one  to  another;  but, 
on  the  whole,  they  agreed  about  as 
well  as  any  twenty  little  girls  could 
be  expected  to  do ;  and  not  one 
among  them  would  have  had  the 
heart  purposely  to  do  an  unkind  thing 
to  another.  Least  of  all  to  Daisy 
Forster,  whom  they  all  looked  upon 
with  a  kind  of  tender  pity  and  inter- 
est, because  of  her  sad  and  romantic 
history;  and  who  was  at  once  taken 
up  by  both  teacher  and  scholars  as 
a  sort  of  twin  pet  with  Lily,  for 
whom  allowances  were  to  be  made, 
and  who  was  to  be  encouraged  and 
aided  as  much  as  possible. 

10 


no  Daisy's  Work. 

So  Daisy  found  plenty  of  helpers, 
who,  so  far  from  laughing  at  her  mis- 
takes and  backwardness,  were  rather 
inclined  to  think  her  quick  and  indus- 
trious, as  indeed  she  was,  trying  hard 
to  make  up  for  lost  time,  and  "  catch 
up  "  with  those  of  her  own  age. 

She  was  almost  too  eager  about 
this,  and  had  to  be  checked  now  and 
then,  for  since  the  long  illness  which 
had  followed  the  shipwreck,  Daisy 
had  never  been  strong;  and  too  much 
fatigue  or  study,  or  even  too  much 
play,  would  make  her  nervous  and 
sick,  and  her  little  head  would  be- 
come confused  and  ache.  So  now 
and  then  Mrs.  Forster  would  have 
to  take  the  books  from  her,  and  for- 
bid more  study,  sending  her  out  to 


Daisy  at  Study.  1 1 1 

play,  or  to  work  in  the  plot  of  ground 
which  had  been  given  her  for  a  gar- 
den of  her  own. 

She  was  not  always  pleased  at  this, 
and  sometimes  would  be  rather  fret- 
ful and  impatient.  But  Mrs.  Forster 
soon  found  a  way  to  put  a  stop  to 
this. 

One  afternoon  she  found  the  little 
girl  bending  over  her  slate  with 
flushed  and  heated  cheeks,  anxious 
eyes,  and  trembling  hands. 

"Daisy,"  she  said,  quietly,  "what 
are  you  doing?  Miss  Collins  has 
not  given  you  lessons  out  of  school, 
has  she  ?  " 

"No,  ma'am,"  said  Daisy;  "but 
I  asked  Ella  Ward  to  set  me  a  whole 
lot  of  sums  so  that  I  could  do  them 


H2  Daisy's  Work. 

at  home,  and  I  can't  make  this  one 
come  right.  I  know  it  is  not  right, 
'cause  Ella  put  the  answers  on  the 
other  side  of  the  slate,  and  mine 
won't  come  the  same,  all  I  can  do." 

Mrs.  Forster  took  the  slate  from 
her  hand. 

"This  sum  is  too  hard  for  you, 
Daisy,"  she  said :  "  you  do  not  know 
enough  arithmetic  for  this." 

"  It  is  not  any  harder  than  the  sums 
Lola  and  Violet  and  the  other  girls 
as  large  as  I  am  do,"  answered  Daisy, 
looking  ready  to  burst  out  crying; 
"and  I  have  to  do  arithmetic  with 
the  very  little  ones,  like  Lily,  and  it 
makes  me  ashamed  ;  so  I  want  to  go 
on  all  I  can.  Please  give  me  the 
slate  again,  Aunt  Gertrude,"  she  add- 


Daisy  at  Study.  113 

ed,  as  Mrs.  Forster  laid  it  beyond  her 
reach. 

"  No,  dear.  I  do  not  wish  you  to 
study  out  of  school.  I  am  glad  you 
want  to  improve,  but  you  have  as 
much  to  do  there  as  is  good  for  you  ; 
and  at  home  I  want  you  to  have  rest 
and  play.  You  are  improving  quite 
as  fast  as  could  be  expected,  and  for 
a  time  you  must  be  content  to  go  on 
with  those  who  are  younger  than 
yourself." 

"But  it  makes  me  ashamed,"  plead- 
ed Daisy,  again. 

"  There  is  no  reason  for  that,"  said 
Mrs.  Forster,  patting  the  hot  cheek 
she  raised  towards  her.  "The  other 
children  do  not  laugh  at  you  and 
make  you  uncomfortable,  do  they  ?  " 


10* 


H4  Daisy's  Work. 

"  Oh,  no,  ma'am,"  said  Daisy;  "they 
are  all  so  good  to  me,  and  when  they 
can't  help  seeing  what  a  dunce  I  am  " 
(here Daisy's  tears  overflowed),  "they 
always  say  kind  things  about  how  I 
never  went  to  school  before,  and  how 
my  own  dear  mamma  was  drowned, 
and  there  was  nobody  to  teach  me 
till  I  came  to  you." 

t?You  are  not  a  dunce,  dear,"  said 
the  lady.  "  A  child  who  idles  away 
her  time  when  she  should  be  study- 
ing, and  does  not  care  whether  or  no 
she  learns  as  much  as  is  fit  for  her, 
is  a  dunce:  not  a  little  girl  who  really 
wishes  to  be  industrious,  but  does  not 
know  quite  as  much  as  others  of  her 
own  age  only  because  God  has  not 
given  her  the  same  advantages  in 


Daisy  at  Study.  115 

time  past.  No  one  will  think  my 
Daisy  a  dunce.  Now,  we  must  have 
no  more  studying  at  home,  no  more 
lessons  than  those  Miss  Collins  sets 
you." 

Daisy  did  not  look  satisfied:  on 
the  contrary,  she  even  pouted  a  little. 

"  Daisy,"  said  Mrs.  Forster,  "  sup- 
pose Uncle  Frank  were  to  give  you 
some  beautiful  and  costly  thing 
which  would  be  of  great  use  to  you 
in  time  to  come  if  you  took  good  care 
of  it,  say  a  watch:  what  would  you 
do  with  it?" 

:?  Why !  I  would  take  great  care, 
oh !  such  care  of  it,"  said  Daisy,  open- 
ing her  eyes  in  some  surprise  at  the 
question.  She  did  not  see  what  that 
could  have  to  do  with  her  studies. 


n6  Daisy's  Work. 

w  I'd  wind  it  up  every  night,  and 
try  to  keep  it  right  and  safe  every 
way  I  could.  But  I  don't  know  if  I 
am  quite  large  enough  to  have  a 
watch  of  my  own,  or  take  care  of  it ; 
maybe  the  best  way  would  be  to  ask 
you  or  Uncle  Frank  to  keep  it  for 
me  till  I  was  older." 

w  And  suppose  for  a  while  he  gave 
you  no  key  to  this  watch,  but  let  it 
run  down  and  be  quiet  ?  " 

"  I'd  just  put  it  away  till  he  gave 
me  a  key,  and  be  patient  about  it," 
said  Daisy,  wondering  more  and 
more. 

w  And  if,  by  and  by,  when  he  gave 
you  this  key,  you  should  go  on  wind- 
ing and  winding  the  watch  farther  and 
faster  than  it  was  right  for  it  to  go, 


Daisy  at  Study.  117 

till  the  wheels  and  springs  were  all 
spoiled  and  out  of  order,  would  Uncle 
Frank  think  you  cared  much  for  his 
gift?" 

"  Why,  no,  Aunt  Gertrude ;  and  he 
wouldn't  think  I  cared  much  for  him, 
either,  to  use  his  pretty  present  so." 

"You  are  right,  dear.  And  now 
I  want  my  own  little  Daisy  to  see 
how  it  is  with  herself.  God  has 
given  to  you  a  young  mind,  bright 
and  quick  enough;  but,  for  a  while, 
He  did  not  choose  that  it  should  do 
much  work.  But  now  He  has  given 
you  the  key  by  which  you  may  wind 
it  and  set  it  to  work  ;  and  if  you  use 
it  without  proper  care,  and  so  as  to 
hurt  and  wear  out  this  precious  gift, 
would  it  not  seem  as  if  you  cared 


u8  Daisys  Work. 

very  little  about  it,  and  did  not  re- 
spect and  honor  the  Giver?" 

"Yes'm,"  answered  Daisy,  begin- 
ning to  see  what  Mrs.  Forster  meant ; 
"  but  I  never  thought  about  that." 

"  I  believe  I  never  thought  about 
it  before,  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Forster, 
smiling.  "  I  am  not  afraid  to  praise 
you,  Daisy;  and  I  may  safely  say  that 
I  have  never  seen  any  little  child  who 
showed  such  true  honor  and  rever- 
ence for  her  Maker,  and  all  which  be- 
longs to  Him.  You  must  have  been 
well  taught,  my  child  ;  and  to  know 
and  remember  such  lessons  is  worth 
all  the  book  learning  in  the  world." 

Daisy  was  pleased,  as  she  always 
was  when  any  one  spoke  to  her  of 
her  long-lost  home,  or  praised  the 


Daisy  at  Study.  119 

teaching  she  had  received  from  those 
who  had  loved  and  cared  for  her 
there.  And  from  this  time  there  was 
no  further  trouble  about  the  lessons; 
for  it  was  enough  for  Daisy  to  know 
that  she  was  misusing  any  one  of 
God's  good  gifts,  to  make  her  change 
her  ways.  Many  a  lesson  might 
have  been  learned,  and,  indeed,  had 
been  learned,  by  those  older  and  wiser 
than  herself,  from  the  loving  care  and 
respect  paid  by  this  little  one  to  her 
Creator's  name,  and  to  all  the  works 
of  His  hand. 

And  it  was  a  great  trouble  to  her  to 
hear  the  careless  way  in  which  many 
of  her  schoolmates  used  sacred  names 
and  things.  They  did  not  mean  any 
harm;  they  did  not  think  it  any  sin; 


I2O  Daisy's  Work. 

but  every  day  Daisy  was  shocked 
and  distressed  by  hearing  such  words 
as  "  mercy,"  "  gracious,"  "  goodness," 
and  "good  heavens,"  and  the  like, 
from  the  lips  of  the  other  children,  as 
they  were  about  their  play  and  study. 
It  had  become  a  habit  with  nearly  all  in 
the  school ;  one  caught  it  from  another 
almost  without  knowing  it;  even 
Lily  Ward,  who  once  thought  the 
clergyman  "preached  a  sermon  at 
her "  because  she  said  "  hush  up," 
now  and  then  followed  the  example 
of  the  others  when  any  thing  vexed 
or  surprised  her.  A  few  weeks  at 
school  had  accustomed  Lily  to  the 
constant  use  of  expressions  which  a 
year  ago  she  would  have  considered 
"  real  naughty  words." 


Daisy  at  Study.  121 

The  older  girls  in  Miss  Sarah  Col- 
lins' room  had  fallen  into  this  bad 
habit  as  much,  if  not  more,  than  the 
little  ones  of  the  infant  class. 

And  it  was  not  only  this  careless- 
ness of  speech  in  which  they  were  all, 
large  and  small,  to  blame;  but  it 
seemed  to  Daisy  so  strange  that  they 
could  handle  and  treat  the  Bible, 
God's  holy  Word,  with  so  little  rever- 
ence and  respect,  knocking  it  about 
among  their  other  books  as  if  it  were 
no  better  than  these  last,  even  using 
it,  sometimes,  for  purposes  to  which 
no  book,  even  the  most  common  one, 
should  be  put. 

Daisy  wondered  that  Miss  Collins 
did  not  teach  them  better ;  but  either 

she  did  not  notice  all  this,  or  she  did  not 
ii 


122  Daisy's  Work. 

think  it  of  much  consequence;  cer- 
tain it  is  that  she  did  not  check  them, 
and  the  evil  seemed  to  Daisy  to  grow 
worse  from  day  to  day. 

At  first  she  did  not  like  to  speak 
herself.  You  may  wonder  that  this 
was  so,  since  she  had  not  feared  to 
speak  so  plainly  to  General  Forster, 
who  was  a  grown  gentleman,  so  much 
older  than  herself;  but  she  had  done 
that  almost  without  knowing  what  she 
was  saying,  for,  as  you  know,  his  pro- 
fane words  had  startled  her  so  that  he 
was  surprised,  and  he  had  almost 
forced  her  to  tell  him  what  had  dis- 
turbed her. 

And  here  she  was  with  every  thing 
strange  around  her,  school,  school- 
mates, and  teacher  all  new  to  her;  so 


Daisy  at  Study.  123 

it  is  not  astonishing  that  she  was 
rather  shy  and  felt  afraid  to  interfere 
with  the  others,  or  to  tell  them  that 
she  thought  they  were  doing  wrong. 

But  by  and  by  there  came  a  day 
when  she  could  no  longer  hold  her 
peace. 


DAISY    A    TEACHER. 


VI. 

DAISY  A  TEACHER. 

morning  just  after  school 
commenced,  a  heavy  shower 
came  up;  and  when  it  was  time  for 
the  recess,  which  was  always  given  to 
the  infant  class  at  eleven  o'clock,  the 
ground  was  still  so  wet  that  the  little 
ones  were  forced  to  find  amusement 
within  doors  or  upon  the  piazza. 

"  What  shall  we  play  ?  "  asked 
Rosie  Pierson. 

"  Lady  Queen  Fair,"  said  Bessie 
Norton:  "we'll  go  out  on  the  piazza 
and  play  it." 


128  Daisy's  Work. 

"Yes,"  said  Violet;  wand  Lily 
shall  be  Lady  Queen  Fair,  and  we'll 
dress  her  up  a  little.  Miss  Emily," 
as  a  third  Miss  Collins,  who  gave 
music  lessons  to  the  girls,  passed  by, 
"  may  we  have  a  rose  to  put  in  Lily's 
hair  for  Lady  Fair  ?  " 

The  young  lady  smiled,  stopped 
and  pulled  a  couple  of  roses  from  the 
vine  which  wound  itself  around  one 
of  the  pillars  of  the  piazza,  and  gave 
them  to  Violet,  then  passed  on. 

Time  had  been  when  Violet  would 
have  hoped,  perhaps  would  have  asked 
to  be  Lady  Fair  herself,  and  been 
sulky  and  displeased  if  the  other 
children  had  not  agreed;  but  now  she 
was  very  different,  and  more  apt  to 
prefer  another  before  herself. 


Daisy  a  Teacher.  129 

The  roses  were  soon  arranged,  the 
one  in  the  hair,  the  other  in  the  bosom 
of  the  little  Lady  Queen,  who  took 
her  dignities  in  the  calmest  manner. 
Meanwhile  some  of  the  other  children 
were  drawing  forward  one  of  the  rus- 
tic chairs  with  which  the  piazza  was 
furnished,  to  serve  as  a  throne. 

But  the  little  queen,  like  many 
another  royal  lady  before  her,  found 
her  throne  by  no  means  an  easy 
one. 

"Ow!"  she  said,  rubbing  her  little 
round  white  shoulders  where  she  had 
scratched  them  against  the  rough  bark 
of  the  twisted  boughs  which  made  the 
back  of  the  chair,  "ow!  this  is  not 
nice  at  all,  or  comfortal.  My  feet 
don't  come  to  the  floor,  and  if  I  lean 


130  Daisy's  Work. 

back  I'm  all  scratched.  I'd  rather  be 
a  queen  without  a  throne." 

"  Oh,  no !  You  must  have  a  throne," 
said  Susy  Edwards.  "  Queens  have 
to." 

"  I  don't  see  why,"  said  Lily,  rather 
pettishly;  for  she  did  not  feel  very 
well  that  morning,  and  that  and  the 
close  heat  of  the  day  made  her  more 
fretful  than  usual.  "I  should  think 
queens  could  do  just  as  they  have  a 
mind  to  and  make  their  subjiks  do  it 
too;  and  I  don't  see  what  they  have 
to  have  their  skin  all  scraped  up  for 
if  they  dont  want  to;"  and  Lily 
twisted  her  head  to  give  an  aggrieved 
look  at  the  little  fat  shoulder  with  that 
red  mark  upon  it. 

«  I'll  fix  you,"  said  Lola.     « I'll  put 


Daisy  a  Teacher.  131 

Miss  Collins'  footstool  under  your 
feet  and  you  shall  have  the  big  cush- 
ion behind  you.  Some  one  bring  the 
cushion  while  I  carry  the  stool." 

The  footstool  was  brought  in  a 
moment;  but  the  cushion  was  not  to 
be  found. 

:?  The  big  girls  had  it  yesterday," 
said  Fanny  Satterlee.  "  I  saw  them 
with  it  in  their  recess  when  I  was 
going  home.  There  comes  Cora 
Prime  now ;  let's  ask  her.  Cora, 
what  did  the  big  girls  do  with  that 
cushion  yesterday  when  they  had  done 
with  it?" 

"The  Lord  knows;  I  don't,"  said 
Cora,  playfully  tapping  Fanny  on  the 
head  with  the  roll  of  music  in  her 
hand. 


132  Daisy's  Work. 

w  Oh !  "  exclaimed  Lily. 

Daisy  did  not  speak;  but  as  Cora's 
eye  happened  to  fall  upon  her,  her 
face  said  as  much  as  Lily's  "  Oh !  " 

"  What's  the  matter  with  you  two  ?  " 
asked  Cora,  looking  from  one  to  the 
other  of  the  little  girls,  but  still  good- 
natured. 

"You  oughtn't  to  say  that,"  said 
Lily. 

"  Ought  not  to  say  what  ?  " 

w  The  Lord  knows,"  answered  Lily. 

"Well,  don't  He  know?"  asked 
Cora. 

w  No,"  said  Lily,  doubtfully,  "I  guess 
not.  I  don't  believe  He'd  bother 
Himself  with  knowing  about  a  worn- 
out  old  cushion  what  has  a  hole  in 
the  cover,  and  such  things." 


Daisy  a  Teacher.  133 

"Yes,  He  does,  too,"  said  Cora, 
laughing;  "are  not  the  very  hairs  of 
our  head  numbered  ?  " 

"Now,  I  know  you  ought  to  be 
'shamed,"  said  Lily.  :r  You're  talk- 
ing Bible ;  and  that  is  not  right,  is  it, 
Daisy?" 

"  No,"  said  Daisy,  as  boldly  as  Lily 
herself  could  have  done,  for  quoting 
Scripture  in  a  careless  manner  was 
also  a  habit  of  many  in  the  school. 

"You  two  saucy  monkeys !  correct- 
ing your  elders,"  said  Cora,  much 
amused.  "  I  heard  you  both  talking 
Bible  to  Miss  Collins  this  morning 
with  all  the  rest  of  your  class." 

"We  were  only  saying  what  we 
learned  in  Sunday  school  yesterday," 
said  Lily.  "That's  not  the  same 


12 


134  Daisys  Work. 

thing.  I  know  it's  not  right  to  talk 
Bible  that  kind  of  a  way.  Papa  says 
so,  and  he  tells  us  not  to  do  it." 

"Your  papa's  saying  so  does  not 
make  a  thing  right  or  wrong/'  said 
Cora. 

:?  Yes,  it  does,  too ! "  said  Lily. 
"  My  papa  knows  a  whole  lot,  and  he 
wouldn't  tell  a  story  for  any  thing. 
Cora,  you'd  better  go  to  your  music 
lesson :  I  'speck  Miss  Emily  wants 
you." 

w  Oh,  you  are  very  considerate  for 
Miss  Emily,  all  at  once,"  said  Cora, 
more  amused  than  ever;  "but  you 
haven't  told  me  why  I  shouldn't  say, 
The  Lord  knows,  when  He  does 
know." 

Lily  looked   at  Daisy,  who  stood 


Daisy  a  Teacher.  135 

by  the  arm  of  her  chair,  for  help. 
The  little  one  felt  that  Cora  was 
wrong,  but  she  did  not  exactly  know 
how  to  answer,  and  she  had  noticed 
how  careful  Daisy  was  to  honor  the 
name  of  God. 

"  Is  it  not  taking  the  name  of  God 
in  vain?"  said  Daisy. 

:?  Upon  my  word  !  "  said  Cora. 
"Do  you  mean  to  call  that  swear- 

ing?" 

"Well,  yes,"  said  Lily,  taking  up 
the  word,  "  a  kind  of  baby  swearing, 
I  s'pose ;  but  you  know  it's  not  very 
good  of  you,  Cora." 

"Everybody  says  such  things:  they 
don't  mean  any  thing,"  said  Cora. 

"Not  everybody?  answered  Lily. 
"  Daisy  don't." 


136  Daisy's  Work. 

w  Then  Daisy's  uncommonly  good," 
said  Cora. 

:?  Yes,  she  is,"  replied  Lily  ;  K  and 
I  s'pose  everybody  ought  to  be  uncom- 
monly good  and  never  say  them." 

Cora  laughed  again. 

w  Everybody  must  mind  their  p's 
and  q's  before  you :  mustn't  they, 
Lily?"  and  away  she  ran  to  her  music 
lesson. 

"  Here's  the  cushion,"  said  Rosie 
Pierson,  running  out  from  the  school- 
room. w  I  found  it  in  the  closet  under 
the  shelf  where  those  careless  big  girls 
left  it,  I  s'pose." 

The  cushion  was  put  behind  Lily's 
shoulders,  but  still  the  little  queen 
fidgeted  on  her  throne  and  declared 
she  was  not  yet  "  comfortal." 


Daisy  a  Teacher.  137 

*  'Cause  if  I  lean  back  against  the 
cushion  my  feet  won't  touch  the  stool," 
she  said. 

:?  We'll  put  something  else  on  the 
stool  to  make  it  higher,"  said  Nettie 
Prime,  who  was  trying  to  arrange 
Lily  satisfactorily:  "what  shall  we 
take  ?  Oh,  I  know.  Daisy,  run 
and  bring  the  big  Bible  off  Miss 
Collins'  table  for  Lily  to  put  her  feet 
on." 

Daisy,  who  made  a  motion  to  start 
forward  as  Nettie  began  to  speak, 
stood  still  when  she  heard  what  she 
called  for. 

"Make  haste,"  said  the  latter,  im- 
patiently :  "  we  won't  have  a  bit  of 
time  to  play." 

Daisy  did  not  move,  but  stood  with 

12* 


138  Daisy's  Work. 

rising  color,  trying  to  make  up  her 
mind  to  speak. 

"  Oh!  you  disobliging  thing!  "  said 
Violet,  and  she  ran  for  the  book. 

"  Oh !  don't,"  said  Daisy,  as  Violet 
came  back  and  stooped  to  put  the 
Bible  on  the  footstool;  "  I  didn't  mean 
to  be  disobliging,  but  we  ought  not  to 
use  the  Bible  to  play  with." 

"Pooh!"  said  Violet:  "Lily's  little 
feet  won't  hurt  it.  It's  all  worn  out, 
any  way.  The  cover  is  real  shab- 
by." 

"I  didn't  mean  that,"  answered 
Daisy;  "I  meant  because  it  is  God's 
book,  and  we  ought  to  treat  it  very 
carefully." 

"  Oh,  fiddle !  How  awfully  particu- 
lar.you  are,  Daisy!"  said  Minnie  Grey. 


Daisy  a  Teacher.  139 

rr  Why,  girls,  do  you  know,  the  other 
day,  when  I  was  playing  paper-dolls 
with  her  and  I  turned  up  a  Bible  to 
make  the  side  of  a  house,  she  took  it 
away,  and  when  I  put  it  back  again 
'cause  it  stood  up  better  than  the  other 
books,  she  said  she  wouldn't  play  if  I 
did  so  with  the  Bible." 

"  I  s'pose  Daisy  would  call  that 
'  taking  God's  name  in  vain,' ':  said 
another,  half  reproachfully;  "  wouldn't 
you,  Daisy?  " 

"  I  think  it  is  something  the  same," 
answered  Daisy,  feeling  as  if  all  the 
others  were  finding  fault  with  her  and 
thinking  her  "awfully  particular,"  a 
crime  which  no  little  girl  likes  to  have 
laid  to  her  charge. 

"  I  don't  see  how,"  said  Lola.     "  I 


140  Daisys  Work. 

know  we  ought  not  to  play  with  the 
Bible;  but  I  don't  see  how  it  is  taking 
God's  name  in  vain." 

"  But  the  Bible  is  God's  book,  and 
He  told  it  to  the  men  who  wrote  it,  and 
His  name  is  in  it  a  great  many  times," 
said  Daisy,  "  and  I  think  it  seems  like 
taking  it  in  vain  to  play  with  it  or  to 
put  things  upon  it,  or  to  knock  it  about 
like  our  other  school-books.  And  it  is 
not  right  to  say  r  the  Lord  knows,'  and 
f  mercy,'  and  ?  gracious,'  and  such 
words,  when  we  are  just  playing,  or 
when  we  are  provoked." 

:?  What  is  the  harm?  "  asked  Rosie. 
"  Mercy  and  gracious  are  not  God's 
name." 

t?  Well,  no,"  said  Daisy,  slowly,  not 
exactly  knowing  how  to  explain  her- 


Daisy  a  Teacher.  141 

self.  "  And  maybe  I  make  a  mistake; 
but  it  does  seem  to  me  as  if  it  was  a 
kind  of—  of—  " 

"  Of  little  swearing,  as  Lily  says," 
said  Lola. 

*  Yes,"  said  Daisy.  "  Rosie  thinks 
it  is  no  harm;  but  even  if  it  is  not 
much  harm,  I  don't  see  what  is  the 
good  of  it.  We  can  talk  just  as  well 
without  saying  such  words." 

"  I  guess  they  are  pretty  wicked," 
said  Lily.  ;?  The  day  mamma  went 
away,  I  said  'good  heavens,'  and  she 
said  'Lily!  Lily!'  very  quick,  like 
she  does  when  I  do  something  very 
naughty,  and  she  asked  me  where  I 
learned  that;  and  I  told  her  Elly  said 
it.  I  didn't  mean  to  tell  a  tale  about 
Elly;  but  mamma  looked  sorry,  and 


142  Daisy's  Work. 

she  told  me  never  to  say  it  again.  I 
guess  ?  mercy '  is  'most  the  same,  and 
I  guess  I  won't  say  it  any  more;  and, 
Daisy,  if  I  hear  the  other  girls  say 
those  words,  I'll  help  you  correct 
'em." 

Lily  promised  this  with  an  air  of 
such  grave  importance  that  the  other 
children  laughed.  Not  in  the  least 
abashed,  Lily  went  on, — 

"  Papa's  coming  home  day  after  to- 
morrow, and  I'll  ask  him  to  tell  me  a 
whole  lot  about  God's  name,  and  why 
it  is  wrong  to  say  those  things  ;  and 
then  I'll  tell  all  you  girls.  But  I'm 
not  coming  to  school  any  more  wrhen 
mamma  comes  home  ;  so  you'll  have 
to  come  to  my  house,  and  I'll  have  a 
swearing  class,  and  teach  you  all  about 
it." 


Daisy  a  Teacher.  143 

Lily's  words  might  have  been  taken 
with  a  different  meaning  from  that 
which  she  intended  to  give  them;  but 
the  other  children  understood  her,  and 
that  was  enough. 

"  But,  Daisy,"  said  Lola,  "  how  do 
you  know  so  much  about  these  things 
when  you  don't  know  a  great  deal 
about  every-day  lessons,  and  have 
had  no  one  to  teach  you  for  so 
long?" 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Daisy.  "I 
think  my  own  mamma  who  was 
drowned  used  to  teach  me  in  the 
home  I  used  to  have;  "  and  the  dreamy 
look  came  into  her  eyes  which  they 
always  wore  when  she  spoke  of  her 
far-away  home  and  those  she  had 
loved  there.  w  I  think  I've  forgotten 


144  Daisy's  Work. 

a  good  many  things,"  she  added  ; 
"but  you  know  I  couldn't  forget  what 
mamma  taught  me  about  Jesus  and 
what  He  wanted  us  to  do  if  we  loved 
Him.  And  I  think  if  we  do  love 
Him  we  won't  say  words  about  His 
name,  His  heaven,  or  any  thing  that  is 
His,  that  are  not  very  good  and  gentle, 
and  that  we  are  very  sure  He  would 
like  us  to  say." 

"But  you  are  so  very  particular, 
Daisy,"  said  Minnie;  K  I  think  you 
are  most  too  particular." 

"  I  didn't  think  we  could  be  too 
particular  about  doing  what  Jesus 
likes,"  said  Daisy. 

The  other  children  had  all  gath- 
ered about  Daisy,  and  were  listening 
with  interest  to  what  she  said.  Per- 


Daisy  a  Teacher.  145 

haps  they  heard  her  with  more  pa- 
tience than  they  would  have  given  to 
any  one  else ;  for  Daisy  was  a  kind  of 
mystery  to  them,  and  they  looked 
upon  her  as  a  sort  of  fairy  or  princess 
in  disguise,  and  would  not  have  been 
at  all  surprised  to  hear  the  most  ex- 
travagant stories  about  her,  for  she 
was  "just  like  a  story-book  child." 
Lily  had  said  so  one  day  when  she 
was  speaking  of  her  at  home. 

"No,"  said  Lola,  thoughtfully;  "but 
it  does  not  seem  as  if  such  little  things 
could  be  wrong.  I  know  it  can't  be 
right  to  play  with  the  Bible  or  say  its 
words  just  when  we  are  joking  or  for 
our  own  common  talk;  but  I  don't  see 
the  harm  of  saying  'goodness/  or 
'  mercy/  or  *  heavens,'  or  those  words 
13 


146  Daisy's  Work. 

which  you  never  will  say,  Daisy;  they 
are  not  God's  name,  and  I  don't  see 
how  it  is  taking  it  in  vain  to  say 
them." 

Daisy  looked  thoughtful.  She  felt 
she  was  right,  and  wanted  to  explain 
herself;  but  she  was  rather  shy  and 
could  not  find  words  to  do  so. 

But  Lily,  whom  shyness  never 
troubled,  came  to  her  aid. 

"  Never  mind,"  she  said :  "  I'll  ask 
papa  just  as  soon  as  he  comes  home, 
and  he'll  tell  us  all  about  it;  and  if 
he  says  it  is  naughty,  why,  it  is,  and 
we  won't  do  it;  and  if  he  says  it's 
good  enough,  why,  we  will.  That's 
the  way  to  fix  it." 

Here  the  bell  rang. 

w  There,  now,"  said  Susy  Edwards, 


Daisy  a  Teacher.  147 

"we  have  to  go  in,  and  we've  wasted  all 
our  time  talking,  and  never  had  a  bit 
of  good  of  our  recess." 

But  I  think  Susy  was  mistaken, 
and  that  they  had  one  and  all  gained 
more  good  from  their  talk  than  they 
could  have  done  from  any  amount  of 
play;  for  it  had  set  more  than  one 
young  mind  thinking;  and  from  this 
day,  even  the  most  careless  among 
them  would  check  herself  when  she 
found  she  was  on  the  point  of  using 
these  words  which  had  grown  so  com- 
mon among  them,  more  from  want  of 
thought  than  from  any  wish  or  tempta- 
tion to  do  wrong. 


THE   SWEARING   CLASS. 


VII. 

THE  SWEARING  CLASS. 


Lily's  papa  and  mamma 
came  home,  she  was  so  glad  to 
see  them,  and  there  was  so  much  to 
hear  and  to  talk  about,  that  she  quite 
forgot  her  purpose  of  asking  her  father 
to  teach  her  about  the  third  command- 
ment. Besides,  she  no  longer  went 
to  school  now  that  her  mother  was  at 
home,  but  had  her  lesson  each  day 
with  her  as  she  had  done  before  Mrs. 
Ward  went  on  her  journey;  and  so  she 
was  not  as  apt  to  hear  or  to  say  those 


152  Daisy's  Work. 

•t 
careless  words  which  Daisy  Forster 

had  said  it  was  not  right  to  use. 

But  it  was  at  last  brought  to  her 
mind  one  evening  as  the  family  all  sat 
at  the  tea-table. 

"  Mamma,"  said  Ella,  "  will  you  let 
Lily  and  me  have  a  tea-party  to-mor- 
row? I  want  to  ask  half  a  dozen  of 
our  girls,  and  I  suppose  Lily  would 
like  to  have  a  few  of  the  little  ones  at 
the  same  time." 

:?  Yes,"  answered  Mrs.  Ward, "  you 
may  each  ask  six  of  your  most  intimate 
friends." 

"  Can  Walter  and  I  ask  some  of  the 
fellows  ? "  said  Ned. 

"Oh,  mercy!  no,"  said  Ella:  "we 
don't  want  any  boys.  It  is  not  to  be  a 
regular  party,  Ned.  I  just  want  the 


The  Swearing  Class.          153 

girls  to  spend  the  afternoon  and  drink 
tea;  and  it  makes  more  fuss  to  have 
boys  too." 

"Goodness  me!  You  needn't  get 
into  such  a  way  about  it,"  said  Ned. 

w  Children,"  said  Lily,  her  brother's 
and  sister's  words  bringing  back  to 
her  what  Daisy  had  said,  "  children, 
you  needn't  either  of  you  swear  about 
it." 

Lily's  efforts  to  keep  the  family 
straight  were  generally  considered  as 
a  good  joke,  and  her  reproofs  and 
advice  received  with  a  laugh;  but 
this  plain  speaking  was  rather  too 
much  for  either  Ella  or  Ned,  and  the 
former  exclaimed,  — 

:?  Well,  who  is  swearing,  I'd  like  to 
know  ?  " 


154  Daisy's  Work. 

"  And  who  gave  you  leave  to  cor- 
rect your  elders  ?  "  said  Ned. 

"  Nobody:  I  just  took  it,"  said  una- 
bashed Lily;  and  then,  turning  to  her 
father,  she  exclaimed,  "  Papa,  I  b'lieve 
the  girls  in  our  school  are  pretty  hea- 
then, and  don't  know  enough  about 
the  comman'ments.  So  I  told  them 
we'd  have  a  swearing  class,  and  I'd  ask 
you  to  teach  it,  'cause  I  s'pose  you 
know  a  good  deal  about  swearing; 
and  this  will  be  a  good  chance  when 
they  come  to-morrow." 

This  speech  turned  the  vexation  of 
Ella  and  Ned  into  amusement,  and 
they  laughed  with  the  others. 

w  I  don't  think  your  playmates  will 
thank  you  for  asking  them  here  to  take 
tea  and  then  bringing  them  up  for  a 


The  Swearing  Class.          155 

lecture  from  me,  my  pet,"  said  Mr. 
Ward. 

"  Yes :  they  will,  papa.  They  want 
to  know  about  it,  and  I  think  we'd 
better  make  a  swearing  party  of  this. 
I  b'lieve  it  would  do  those  big  girls 
good  too.  They  swear,  oh,  dreadfully ! 
and  they  don't  seem  to  think  they  do, 
least  Cora  don't.  Mamma,  let's  make 
a  rule  we  won't  have  any  swearing  in 
this  house:  won't  you?" 

"  Certainly,"  said  mamma,  smiling; 
"  and  I  think  we  must  find  out  what 
swearingis,  and  be.careful  notto  break 
the  rule." 

w  If  one  is  going  to  call  '  goodness ' 
and  ?  mercy,'  and  such  things,  swear- 
ing, one  might  as  well  give  up  talking 
altogether,"  said  Ella'. 


156  Daisy's  Work. 

"Perhaps  not  exactly  swearing," 
said  her  father;  "but  the  use  of  them 
is  a  bad  habit,  and  one  that  I  have 
noticed  is  quite  too  frequent  among 
all  the  young  people  of  this  place. 
It  is  growing  stronger  too,  as  all 
such  habits  do,  and  going  from  bad 
to  worse.  But  I  must  go  out  now, 
and  have  not  time  to  talk  to  you  about 
it.  If  Lily  can  persuade  her  little 
friends  to  take  the  f  swearing  class,' 
as  part  of  their  afternoon's  entertain- 
ment to-morrow,  well  and  good;  if 
not,  we  will  have  a.  little  private  talk 
among  ourselves  some  other  time." 

Ella  was  not  at  all  pleased  by  Lily's 
proposal;  and  hoping  that  it  would 
pass  from  the  child's  mind  before  the 
afternoon,  she  was  careful  not  to  make 


The  Swearing  Class.          1 5  7 

her  remember  it  by  the  use  of  any 
such  words  as  had  called  forth  Lily's 
reproof. 

This  had  very  nearly  proved  suc- 
cessful; and  in  the  excitement  of  ar- 
ranging her  baby-house,  setting  out 
the  new  tea-set  mamma  had  brought 
her,  and  dressing  the  doll  which  had 
been  papa's  present,  Lily  had  almost 
forgotten  her  plan  for  mingling  whole- 
some instruction  with  the  amusement 
provided  for  her  young  friends. 

There  were  Lola  and  Violet  Swan, 
Daisy  Forster,  Rosie  Pierson,  Minnie 
Grey,  and  Bessie  Norton ;  and  they 
were  all  having  a  real  good  time  sit- 
ting around  a  small  table  and  playing 
tea  out  of  the  new  china  set,  when 
Minnie  said, — 

14 


158  Daisy's  Work. 

"  I  have  a  secret  to  tell  all  of  you, 
if  you'll  promise  never  to  tell." 

"  I  won't,"  said  Violet. 

"  On  your  sacred  word  and  honor?" 
said  Minnie. 

"  On  my  sacred  word  and  honor," 
repeated  Violet. 

"And  you,  Rosie?"  asked  Minnie. 

"  On  my  word  and  honor,"  said 
Rosie. 

"  Sacred  ?  "  said  Minnie. 

"  Sacred.  Sacred  word  and  hon- 
or," was  Rosie's  answer. 

Lily  repeated  the  words  as  desired, 
and  next  came  Daisy's  turn. 

"I  won't  tell,"  she  said,  when  Min- 
nie looked  at  her. 

"On  your  sacred  word  and  honor?  " 
asked  Minnie. 


The  Swearing  Class.          159 

"I  promise  I  won't  tell,  Minnie." 

"  But  you  must  say  on  your  word 
and  honor." 

"  I  can't,"  said  Daisy. 

"  Then  I  shan't  tell  you;  and  you're 
real  mean,  Daisy  Forster,"  said  Min- 
nie. "Why  won't  you  say  so?" 

"I  don't  see  why  I  need,  and  I 
don't  know  if  it  is  quite  right,"  an- 
swered Daisy,  coloring. 

"  Oh,  Daisy  Forster,  what  a  girl 
you  are !  "  said  Rosie. 

"Well,"  said  Lily,  "there's  noth- 
ing left,  fcept  these  two  caramels. 
Daisy,  you  eat  up  this;  and,  Bessie, 
you  eat  up  the  other.  Now  the  tea- 
party  is  all  done,  and  we'll  go  and 
ask  papa  about  that  comman'ment. 
He's  been  playing  croquet  with  the 


160  Daisy's  Work. 

big  girls,  but  they  seem  to  be  resting 
now." 

Lily  was  right.  Mr.  Ward  had 
been  persuaded  to  make  the  eighth 
in  a  game  of  croquet,  for  he  was  a 
great  favorite  with  all  the  young 
people  in  Glenwood,  and  his  presence 
never  put  any  check  upon  their  games 
or  pleasure  parties. 

But  the  afternoon  proved  rather 
warm  for  exercise,  even  the  gentle 
one  of  bewitching  croquet;  and,  after 
a  long  game  was  finished,  the  whole 
party  were  ready  to  agree  to  Ella's 
proposal  that  they  should  take  a  rest, 
and  send  to  the  house  for  some  cool- 
ing drink. 

So  Mr.  Ward  was  at  liberty  to  at- 
tend to  Lily,  when  she  came  rushing 


The  Swearing  Class.          161 

up  to  him,  followed,  rather  more 
slowly,  by  the  rest  of  the  children. 

"  Papa,"  she  said,  throwing  herself 
across  his  knee,  as  he  sat  upon  the 
green  mound  which  was  raised  about 
the  foot  of  one  of  the  fine  elm-trees 
which  shaded  the  croquet-ground, 
"  papa,  Daisy  says  we  oughtn't  to  say 
upon  our  words  and  honors !  Ought- 
n't we  ?  And  will  you  teach  us  about 
taking  God's  name  in  vain  now?  It's 
the  singalest  circumstance,  but  I  went 
and  forgot  all  about  the  swearing 
class,  till  Daisy  said  that." 

"A  very  singular  circumstance, 
certainly;"  said  Mr.  Ward,  lifting 
Lily  to  a  seat  upon  his  knee,  and 
smiling,  while  the  other  girls  laughed 
at  her  speech.  ?t  I  am  quite  willing 

14* 


1 62  Daisy's  Work. 

to  have  a  little  talk  with  you  all  on 
this  subject;  but  tell  me  first  what 
you  want  to  know." 

"  Daisy  is  so  awfully  particular, 
Mr.  Ward,"  said  Minnie,  in  an  ag- 
grieved tone.  "  She  won't  let  us  say 
any  thing ;  at  least,  she  says  every 
thing  is  f  wrong.' ': 

"Every  thing?"  said  Mr.  Ward: 
w  that  is  bad.  Does  Daisy  want  you 
all  to  keep  silence?  That  must  spoil 
your  play." 

"  Oh,  no ! "  said  Minnie,  w  not  that ; 
but  she  says  such  lots  of  things  are 
wrong  to  say.  Why,  sir,  she  won't 
say  ?  upon  her  word  and  honor,'  'cause 
she  don't  think  it  is  right." 

:?  Why  do  you  want  her  to  say  it?" 
asked  Mr.  Ward. 


The  Swearing  Class.          163 

w  I  was  just  going  to  tell  them  all 
a  great  secret,  and  I  wanted  her  to 
promise,  on  her  sacred  word  and 
honor,  she  would  never  tell;  and  she 
wouldn't  do  it." 

"  So  Daisy  is  apt  to  break  her  prom- 
ises, is  she  ? "  said  the  gentleman, 
with  a  smile  at  Daisy,  which  told  very 
plainly  that  he  was  only  joking. 

"  Oh,  no,  sir  !  "  said  Minnie.  w  In- 
deed she  is  not.  Daisy  always  tells 
the  truth,  and  never  does  what  she 
says  she  won't;  at  least,  we  never 
knew  her  to  do  it:  did  we,  girls?  " 

A  chorus  of  young  voices  was 
raised  in  Daisy's  favor. 

"  And  yet  you  cannot  trust  her  un- 
less she  swears  to  what  she  promises," 
said  Mr.  Ward. 


164  Daisy's  Work. 

"  Swears,  sir !"  said  Minnie.  f?Fm 
sure  I  don't  want  her  to  swear! 
'Word  and  honor'  are  not  bad  words, 
are  they  ?  " 

w  Not  in  themselves,  certainly  ;  " 
answered  Mr.  Ward.  w  Many  a  thing 
which  is  good  in  itself  when  properly 
used,  becomes  bad  and  hurtful  if  put 
to  a  wrong  purpose.  Now  to  swear 
is  to  say,  by  some  word  or  person 
which  you  consider  holy  and  sacred, 
that  you  will  or  will  not  do,  that  you 
have  or  have  not  done,  a  certain  thing. 
Suppose  some  man  were  accused  of 
a  crime,  and  that  the  judge  were 
about  to  try  him,  and  punish  him  if 
he  were  guilty,  and  it  was  thought 
that  I  knew  whether  or  no  the  man 
had  done  that  of  which  he  was  ac- 


The  Swearing  Class.          165 

cused.  So  I  am  called  to  the  court, 
and  there  made  to  promise  that  I  will 
tell  the  truth,  and  nothing  but  the 
truth;  and  to  make  sure  of  this  I  am 
made  to  lay  my  hand  on  the  Bible,  — 
God's  holy  word,  —  and  call  upon 
Him,  to  hear  me  tell  what  I  know. 
And  this  is  considered  a  very  solemn 
thing,  even  by  many  who  have  little 
care  or  respect  for  God  in  other  ways ; 
and  it  is  called  swearing,  or  taking 
the  oath." 

"They  ought  to  be  'shamed  of  their- 
selves,"  said  Lily,  indignantly ;  "  they 
ought  to  know  you  would  never  tell  a 
story,  papa.  And  to  go  and  make  you 
swear  too !  I  wouldn't  do  it  if  I  was 
you  ;  but  I'd  tell  'em  the  third  com- 
man'ment,  and  run  away  fast  from 
them." 


1 66  Daisys  Work. 

"  But  if  this  is  done  in  the  fear  of 
God,  and  as  a  sort  of  prayer  that  He 
will  hear  and  help  us  to  tell  that 
which  is  true,  it  is  not  taking  His 
name  in  vain,  Lily,"  said  Mr.  Ward  ; 
"and  to  do  it  falsely  is  considered  even 
by  men  to  be  a  great  crime.  This  is 
called  perjury;  and  if  any  one  is  found 
guilty  of  it,  he  is  severely  punished  by 
the  law.  Now  it  may  be  wise,  and 
even  necessary,  for  a  man  to  take  an 
oath  at  such  a  time  as  this,  when  the 
very  life  of  another  may  depend  on 
whether  he  tells  the  truth  or  no;  but 
it  can  hardly  be  necessary  for  one 
little  girl  at  play  with  another  to 
make  her  promise  sure  by  swearing 
to  it.  For  to  say  ?by  your  sacred 
word  and  honor '  is  neither  more  nor 


The  Swearing  Class.          167 

less  than  a  sort  of  swearing  or  taking 
an  oath  that  what  you  say  is  true." 

"Then  we'll  make  a  rule  not  to 
say  it  any  more,"  said  Lily.  "We 
didn't  know  it  was  naughty  before, 
papa.  But  please  tell  us  now  about 
other  words.  Daisy  says  we  mustn't 
say  ?  mercy,'  and  ?  gracious,'  and 
?  heavens/  and  maybe  we  mustn't ; 
but  why  is  that  swearing?  Swearing 
is  taking  God's  name  in  vain,  and 
how  do  such  words  take  His  name 
in  vain  if  we  don't  speak  it?  And  she 
thinks  playing  with  the  Bible,  or  say- 
ing its  words  when  we  are  playing 
or  just  talking  common  talk,  is  taking 
God's  name  in  vain,  too.  Is  it?" 

«  I  will  tell  you,"  said  Mr.  Ward. 
w  Suppose,  Lily,  that  some  great  king 


1 68  Daisy's  Work. 

or  queen,  or  the  president  of  our  own 
country,  were  to  come  here  ;  would 
you  not  wish  to  be  particularly  polite 
and  respectful  to  them,  both  in  your 
manner  and  way  of  speaking  ?  " 

:?  Um-m-m,  I  don't  know,"  an- 
swered Lily,  doubtfully;  "notpartic'- 
lar.  I  guess  I'd  just  as  lieve  be  saucy 
to  them  as  to  any  one  else." 

Mr.  Ward  saw  this  would  not  do, 
at  least,  not  for  Lily:  he  must  go 
higher  than  earthly  rulers. 

"  Suppose,  then,"  he  said,  "  that 
Jesus  should  come  down  here  among 
us,  so  that  we  could  see  Him  with 
our  eyes,  walking  and  talking  with 
us,  what  would  you  all  do  ?  " 

"  I'd  fall  down  and  worship  Him," 
said  Minnie. 


The  Swearing  Class.          169 

"  I'd  listen  to  every  word  He  said, 
and  never  speak  one  myself  for  fear 
I  should  miss  one,"  said  Daisy;  "and 
then  I'd  remember  them  all  the  days 
of  my  life." 

"Dear  child!"  said  Mr.  Ward, 
laying  his  hand  fondly  on  hers  :  "  I 
believe  you  do  treasure  your  Lord's 
words  and  try  to  live  according  to 
them." 

"  I'd  ask  Him  to  put  His  hand  on 
my  head  and  bless  me  just  as  He  did 
those  other  little  children  when  He 
was  on  earth  before,"  said  Lola,  softly. 

"So  would  I.  And  I'd  be  glad 
there  were  no  disciples  to  forbid  us 
to  come  to  Him,"  said  Lily.  "I 
s'pose  they  thought  Jesus  wouldn't 
care  about  children  ;  but  He  did, 
15 


170  Daisy's  Work. 

didn't  He?  And  you  wouldn't  think 
so,  papa,  would  you  ?  "  and  the  little 
child  laid  her  hand  lovingly  against 
her  father's  cheek.  "  I'd  keep  very 
close  to  Him  all  the  time  He  was  here, 
and  take  fast  hold  of  His  hand,  only 
I  wouldn't  be  troublesome,  but  just 
keep  as  still  as  a  mouse;  and  I'd  give 
Him  every  thing  of  mine  that  He 
wanted." 

"  So  you  would  all  show  your  love 
and  reverence  for  Him  by  every 
means  in  your  power,"  said  Mr. 
Ward, "  trying  not  to  grieve  or  offend 
Him  by  treating  His  name  or  His 
presence  with  the  least  carelessness 
or  disrespect,  but  letting  Him  see 
that  you  honored  the  one  and  were 
blessed  by  the  other:  is  it  not  so?" 


The  Swearing  Class.          171 

*  Yes,  sir,"  came  from  the  older  as 
well  as  the  younger  children. 

"And  if,  after  He  had  gone  away, 
He  should  send  you  each  a  letter, 
telling  you  what  He  wanted  you  to 
do,  how  you  were  to  love  and  serve 
Him,  and  in  which  you  would  find 
all  the  advice,  help,  and  comfort  you 
might  need  at  any  time,  —  how  would 
you  treat  that  letter?" 

"  I'd  keep  it  all  my  life,  and  take 
such  good  care  of  it,"  said  Rosie. 

"  I'd  read  it,  and  read  it,  and  read 
it;  and  kiss  it,  and  kiss  it,  and  kiss  it," 
said  Lily,  "  and  then  I'd  put  it  in  my 
bosom,  and  keep  it,  oh!  so  carefully." 

"And  so  would  I,  and  I,  and  I," 
said  the  rest,  satisfied  to  have  Lily 
for  spokeswoman. 


172  Daisy's  Work. 

w  And  if  you  saw  any  one  misusing 
that  letter,  how  would  you  feel  ? " 
asked  Mr.  Ward. 

"I'd  be  very  provoked  with  them," 
answered  Lily, "  and  I  think  I  would- 
n't love  them  any  more,  'cept  it  was 
you,  papa,  or  mamma,  or  Elly,  or  any 
one  of  my  own  that  I  have  to  love ; 
and  then  I'd  cry,  and  ask  you  not  to 
serve  my  Jesus'  letter  so." 

:?  You  mean  the  Bible  is  Jesus'  letter 
to  us :  don't  you,  sir  ?  "  asked  Daisy. 

"Yes;  and,  dear  children,  our 
Lord's  presence  is  here  among  us 
as  much  as  if  He  were  in  man's 
form  which  He  once  wore  on  earth. 
His  ear  is  as  quick  to  hear  our  words 
of  love  and  praise,  or  those  of  careless- 
ness and  disrespect,  as  it  was  then; 


The  Swearing  Class.          173 

His  eye  as  ready  to  see  the  use  we 
make  of  the  precious  Word  He  has 
given  us.  But  we  forget  this  when 
we  use  His  book  more  carelessly 
than  we  would  any  gift  from  an 
earthly  friend,  or  when  we  take  His 
name  lightly  or  without  thought  upon 
our  lips.  To  do  this  is  to  take  it  in 
vain,  and  it  displeases  Him." 

"But,  Mr.  Ward,"  said  Minnie,  "it 
is  not  cursing  and  swearing  to  say 
'  mercy,'  and  ?  gracious,'  and  '  good 
Lord,'  and  such  things,  is  it?" 

"  Not  cursing,  certainly  :  that  is  to 
use  God's  name  profanely,  or  to  call 
on  Him  to  destroy  us  or  other  people ; 
and  this  is  a  most  terrible  sin.  But, 
Minnie,  the  use  of  such  words  in 
play  or  thoughtlessness  is  a  bad  habit, 
is* 


174  Daisy's  Work. 

and  leads  to  worse.  Suppose  a  man 
breaks  open  a  bank  here,  and  takes 
all  the  money  from  it :  that  is  steal- 
ing, is  it  not?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  sir,"  answered  Minnie. 

"  And  suppose  you  take  a  sugar- 
plum belonging  to  your  sister  :  it  is 
a  very  small  thing  compared  to  the 
money  taken  from  the  bank,  but  is 
it  not  stealing,  all  the  same  ?  " 

r?Yes,  sir;  and  if  I  was  to  be  so 
bad  as  to  take  Julia's  sugar-plums, 
I'm  afraid  I'd  maybe  steal  something 
worse  some  time." 

"Just  so,"  said  the  gentleman;  "and 
now  you  see  why  it  is 'not  wise  or 
right  to  make  use  of  such  expressions. 
It  is,  as  Lily  says,  a  kind  of  little 
swearing,  and  may  lead  to  worse. 


The  Swearing  Class.          175 

Besides,  it  is  very  useless.  You  can 
surely  believe  one  another,  —  unless, 
indeed,  it  is  some  false  and  deceitful 
child,  —  without  saying  ?  upon  your 
sacred  word  and  honor,'  'as  sure  as 
you  live,'  r  Heaven  knows,'  and  so 
forth.  And  there  is  so  little  tempta- 
tion to  fall  into  this  sin  that  it  seems 
strange  it  should  be  so  common. 
There  is  nothing  to  be  gained  by  it, 
even  of  this  world's  good,  —  no  pleas- 
ure, no  profit.  It  is  only  an  idle,  use- 
less habit,  most  displeasing  and  vexing 
to  the  holy  ear  of  Him  whose  com- 
mandment we  break  without  thought 
or  care.  Goodness  and  mercy  and 
graciousness  belong  to  the  Almighty; 
and  so,  too,  we  must  take  heed  that 
we  do  not  speak  of  what  belongs  to 


176  Daisy's  Work. 

Him  in  an  irreverent,  careless  way. 
And  now  I  think  we  have  had 
enough  talk  on  this  subject  for  this 
afternoon.  You  did  not  ask  your 
friends  here  that  I  might  lecture 
them." 

"Oh,  yes!  I  did,  papa,"  said  Lily  ; 
"  for  we  all  deserved  it  very  much, 
'specially  the  big  girls.  But,  papa, 
do  you  believe  the  Lord  troubles 
Himself  to  know  where  the  girls  put 
an  old,  worn-out  cushion,  and  such 
things  ;  and  if  He  does,  ought  we  to 
say  He  does  ?  " 

"  God  knows  every  thing,  Lily ; 
even  the  smallest  trifle  is  seen  by 
Him ;  but  it  is  very  wrong  to  say,  in 
a  heedless  way,  'the  Lord  knows,' 
for  I  suppose  that  is  what  you  mean. 


The  Swearing  Class.          177 

And  this  very  thought,  that  His  eye 
and  His  ear  are  always  with  us,  no- 
ticing every  word  and  look,  knowing 
the  very  feelings  of  our  hearts,  should 
make  us  all  the  more  careful  how  we 
use  His  holy  name.  I  am  glad  this 
question  has  come  up  among  you ; 
for  heedlessness  in  using  God's  name, 
and  other  sacred  words,  in  quoting 
Scripture,  —  talking  Bible,  my  Lily 
calls  it,  —  and  other  such  habits,  were 
becoming  too  common,  I  fear,  among 
all  the  young  people  in  Glenwood ; 
and  we  older  ones  too,  I  believe,  fall 
too  often  into  the  custom.  We  have, 
too  many  of  us,  constant  need  of  the 
prayer,  r  Set  a  watch,  O  Lord,  upon 
my  mouth;  keep  the  door  of  my 
lips.'" 


178  Daisys  Work. 

"  It  is  Daisy's  doing,  sir,  that  we 
have  come  to  think  of  this,"  said  hon- 
est Cora.  "  I,  for  one,  have  been 
very  thoughtless  about  offending  God 
in  this  way,  and  have  set  a  bad  ex- 
ample to  the  rest.  I  believe  the  little 
ones  have  caught  it  from  us  larger 
girls,  and  we  have  to  thank  Daisy 
that  she  has  taught  us  a  better  les- 


DAISY'S     NAME. 


VIII. 

DAISY'S  NAME. 

'TNDADE,  now,  and  hasn't  me 
words  come  true,  sir?  For 
wasn't  I  afther  tellin'  ye  she  was  as 
nate  a  little  lady  as  iver  stepped  in 
two  shoes  ?  "  said  Betty  Macarthy,  as 
she  stood  with  her  arms  akimbo,  her 
head  on  one  side,  and  her  honest  face 
one  broad  glow  of  delight  and  satis- 
faction, gazing  at  the  dainty-looking 
little  creature  who  stood  before  her, 
her  young  face  bright  with  as  much 
pleasure  as  Betty's  own. 

16  • 


1 82  Daisy's  Work. 

For  Daisy's  old  friend  had  come 
to  live  at  Mrs.  Forster's ;  and  this 
was  the  way  it  had  been  brought 
about. 

The  lady  had  wanted  a  laundress; 
and,  thinking  that  Betty,  who  had 
once  held  that  post  in  her  father's 
family,  might  know  of  one,  had  begged 
the  General  to  ask  her. 

No  sooner  had  he  put  the  question 
than  Betty  eagerly  answered  she 
should  be  only  too  glad  of  the  place 
herself;  for  she  was  tired  of  her 
present  position,  and  a  countrywo- 
man of  her  own  was  ready  to  take  it 
off  her  hands,  stock,  fixtures,  good- 
will, and  all.  "For  her  heart  was 
sore  for  the  child,"  Betty  said,  and  to 
be  where  she  could  see  her  every 


Daisys  Name.  183 

day,  and  to  live  once  more  with  w  Miss 
Gertrude,"  would  be  almost  as  much 
happiness  as  she  could  wish  for;  and 
then  she  would  try  to  put  Jack  out 
with  some  gardener  to  learn  his  trade, 
for  which  he  had  always  had  a  turn. 

So  the  General,  having  talked  the 
matter  over  with  his  wife,  and  mind- 
ful of  the  generous  care  and  kindness 
shown  to  their  Daisy  by  these  poor 
people,  not  only  told  Betty  she  should 
come  to  live  with  them,  but  also  put 
Jack  under  his  own  gardener,  though 
there  was  really  no  need  of  any  more 
hands  about  the  place. 

Thus  did  the  "bread  cast  upon 
the  waters "  by  this  kind-hearted 
Irishwoman,  come  back  to  her,  blessed 
sevenfold. 


184  Daisys  Work. 

Nothing  was  told  to  Daisy  of  this 
arrangement  till  one  afternoon,  when 
the  General  had  returned  from  the 
city,  Mrs.  Forster  said  to  her,  "  I  am 
going  to  speak  to  the  new  laundress 
and  gardener's  boy.  Come  with  me, 
Daisy  ; "  and  half  wondering,  the  lit- 
tle girl  obeyed. 

But  her  surprise  soon  changed  into 
delight  and  gratitude  when  she  saw 
who  the  new  domestics  were  ;  for, 
in  spite  of  all  the  pleasure  she  felt  in 
her  new  way  of  life,  Daisy's  loving 
little  heart  often  longed  for  the  old 
friends  who  had  been  so  good  to  her 
in  her  time  of  need,  and  she  wanted 
not  only  to  see  them,  but  to  share 
some  of  her  many  comforts  with 
them. 


Daisy's  Name.  185 

So  you  may  know  how  glad  she 
was  when  her  eye  fell  upon  the  two 
figures  standing  by  the  back  door, 
and  she  knew  that  they  had  been 
brought  to  live  in  the  same  place  with 
her. 

With  an  excitement  very  unusual 
in  her,  she  flew  at  Betty,  and,  throw- 
ing both  arms  about  her  neck,  cov- 
ered her  broad,  smiling  face  with 
warm  kisses.  Betty  returned  them 
with  a  will,  holding  her  fast  in  both 
arms  ;  and  then,  putting  her  from  her 
and  looking  at  her  from  head  to  foot, 
put  on  an  air  of  strong  approval,  and 
spoke  to  the  General  in  the  words 
you  have  read  at  the  beginning  of 
this  chapter. 

w  An'  isn't  it  fit  for  a  princess,  she 
16* 


1 86  Daisy's  Work. 

is  ? "  she  continued,  quite  unable  to 
keep  back  her  admiration  and  pleas- 
ure at  the  child's  improved  appear- 
ance. "  Isn't  it  fit  for  a  princess  she 
is;  and  Saacyfuts  or  no  Saacyfuts, 
isn't  it  a  right  her  own  folks  would 
have  to  the  name  if  they  found  her 
now?  Sure  I'd  be  saacy  meself  to 
have  the  ownin'  of  a  child  like  that. 
An'  her  not  a  bit  spoiled,  but  just  as 
lovin'  and  free-like  as  when  she  had 
none  but  me  an'  Jack." 

Then  Daisy  was  told  she  might 
take  Betty  and  Jack  away  and  show 
them  the  neat  little  wash-house,  shad- 
ed by  a  fine  clump  of  trees,  with  its 
nice  bleaching  and  drying  ground 
beyond,  its  laundry  on  the  first  floor, 
and  two  small  bedrooms  above,  where 


Daisy  s  Name.  187 

they  were  to  sleep.  Betty  was  en- 
chanted, and  expressed  over  and  over 
again  her  satisfaction  at  the  change 
in  her  life.  It  was  far  better,  she 
thought,  to  stand  at  the  wash-tub 
or  ironing-table,  breathing  the  sweet 
country  air,  with  all  its  pleasant  sights 
and  sounds  about  her,  than  to  do  the 
same  at  her  stall  in  the  hot,  dusty, 
crowded  city. 

As  for  Jack,  when  he  saw  the 
splendid  garden,  when  Daisy  had  led 
them  there,  and  knew  it  was  to  be 
his*  privilege  to  work  among  those 
lovely  flowers,  he  could  not  contain 
himself,  but  shouted  and  shouted, 
turned  somersault  after  somersault, 
till  recalled  to  himself  by  Betty's  re- 
minder that  he  must  "  remember  that 


1 88  Daisy's  Work. 

Margaret — she  begged  her  pardon, 
—  Miss  Daisy  —  was  a  little  lady  now, 
and  he  must  mind  his  manners  before 
her." 

But  Daisy  was  so  like  her  old  self, 
so  free  from  any  pride  or  haughtiness 
in  her  new  position,  that  Jack  found 
it  hard  to  remember  she  was  any 
other  than  the  little  waif  whom  he 
had  pitied  and  petted  for  so  long ; 
and  his  "  manners  "  were  brought  to 
his  mind  with  much  more  force  by 
the  sight  of  the  gray-haired  old  Scotch 
gardener  under  whom  he  was  to 
work,  and  before  whom  his  gambols 
ceased  at  once. 

Meanwhile  General  and  Mrs.  Fors- 
ter  were  talking  on  a  very  interesting 
subject,  for  Betty's  words  about 


Daisy's  Name.  189 

Daisy's  lost  friends  had  given  the  lady 
a  new  idea. 

"  Frank,"  she  said  to  her  husband, 
"did  you  notice  what  Betty  said  about 
Daisy's  friends  ?  " 

:?  Yes,"  he  answered.  w  I  hope  she 
won't  turn  Daisy's  head  and  make 
her  vain  with  her  praise  and  flat- 
tery." 

"  I'm  not  afraid,"  said  his  wife. 
"  Daisy  has  a  right  to  her  name,  the 
modest,  unaffected  little  girl;  and  she 
has  too  much  sense  to  be  spoiled  by 
what  she  looks  upon  only  as  the  over- 
flowing of  Betty's  affection.  But 
don't  you  know  that  the  Irish  pften 
say  saacy  when  they  mean  proud  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes.  I  have  often  noticed  it 
in  people  of  Betty's  class,"  answered 


190  Daisy's  Work. 

the  General ;  "  but  what  has  that  to 
do  with  Daisy's  friends  ?  " 

"  Is  it  not  possible  that  their  name 
is  Proudfoot  or  Proudfit,  and  that 
'Saacyfut'  is  Betty's  way  of  calling 
it?" 

The  General  laughed  heartily. 

"Hardly,  I  think,"  he  said;  "and 
yet  —  I  do  not  know.  It  may  be. 
But  it  never  struck  me.  It  took  a 
woman's  wit  to  think  of  that." 

"We  will  ask  Daisy  when  she 
comes,"  said  Mrs.  Forster.  "  If 
Proudfoot  was  their  name,  she  must 
remember  it  when  she  hears  it  spoken, 
I  think.  She  can  hardly  have  forgot- 
ten it  so  entirely  that  she  would  not 
recognize  it.  And  then,  if  it  should 
be  so,  it  will  be  a  help  to  find  her 


Daisy's  Name.  191 

friends."  Mrs.  Forster  spoke  the  last 
words  more  slowly. 

:?Yes,"  said  her  husband,  giving 
words  to  the  thought  which  had  made 
her  half  unwilling  to  utter  them  ; 
"  and  if  found,  we  must  give  up  our 
Daisy." 

"  But  we  must  not  seek  them  the 
less  for  that,"  she  said,  "or  I  shall 
feel  as  if  we  had  found  some  lovely 
jewel  that  we  were  striving  to  hide 
from  the  rightful  owner.  I  know 
what  terrible  longings  must  fill  her 
mother's  heart ; "  and  a  tear  dropped 
from  Mrs.  Forster's  eye  on  her  baby's 
face,  as  she  clasped  it  more  tenderly 
than  ever  in  her  arms. 

"Daisy,"  said  the  General  that 
evening,  as  the  little  girl  stood  by  his 


192  Daisy's  Work. 

knee,  "  did  you  ever  hear  the  name 
of  Proudfoot?" 

Daisy  started,  drew  a  quick,  gasp- 
ing breath,  and  suddenly  threw  her- 
self into  his  arms. 

"That  is  it!  "  she  cried,  in  a  rapid, 
excited  manner,  "that  is  it!  That  is 
my  name,  that  is  what  they  called 
papa  and  mamma.  I  never  heard  it 
since ;  but  I  know  it  now.  I  am 
Daisy  Proudfoot,  I  am,  I  am!" 

It  was  some  time  before  the  child's 
excitement  could  be  calmed ;  but 
there  was  no  farther  knowledge  to  be 
gained  from  her.  Proudfoot  was  her 
name,  of  that  she  was  quite  sure  ; 
and  the  recollection  of  it  at  this  late 
hour  seemed  to  fill  her  with  a  kind 
of  tremulous  happiness  ;  but  still 


Daisy's  Name.  193 

she  could  not  tell  where  she  be- 
longed. 

Betty  too,  when  she  was  asked  if 
Proudfoot  was  the  name  of  Daisy's 
mother,  answered,  — 

"  Sure,  an'  it  was,  ma'am.  Didn't 
I  say  so  all  along,  only  she  was 
always  gainsayin'  it  ?  "  * 

The  matter  was  settled;  and  Gen- 
eral Forster,  loath  as  he  was  to  part 
with  Daisy,  feeling  that  he  must 
leave  no  stone  unturned  to  trace  her 
friends,  again  put  advertisements  in 
the  papers,  saying,  that  if  any  family 
of  the  name  of  Proudfoot  had  had 
a  child  supposed  to  be  lost  at  sea, 

*  If  this  is  considered  far-fetched,  the  writer  can 
only  say  that  Betty's  rendering  of  the  name  of  Proud- 
foot  was  actually  given  by  a  domestic  in  her  own 
family,  and  occasioned  considerable  bewilderment, 
till  the  quick  wit  of  one  of  its  members  solved  the 
riddle. 


194  Daisy's  Work. 

they  might  hear  of  her  at  such  and 
such  a  place. 

Daisy  was  not  told  of  this  ;  she 
was  contented  and  happy  in  her  new 
home  and  among  her  new  friends, 
and  it  was  not  thought  best  to  disturb 
her  mind  with  fresh  hopes  of  finding 
those  who  might  never  come  to  claim 
her. 

But  although  she  was  still  called 
Daisy  Forster  by  all  in  Glenwood,  it 
was  a  satisfaction  to  herself  and  to 
the  kind  friends  who  had  taken  her 
up  and  cared  for  her,  to  know  the 
name  which  rightly  belonged  to  her. 

However,  days  and  weeks  and 
months  went  by,  and  still  no  one 
came  to  seek  the  Daisy  blossom 
which  had  been  transplanted  to  such 


Daisy's  Name.  195 

pleasant  soil.  And  there  it  grew  and 
flourished,  and  did  its  Master's  work; 
proving  how  much  even  such  a  simple 
floweret  can  do  by  its  own  modest 
example  and  teaching  to  win  others 
to  honor  Him. 

It  was  surprising  to  see  how  much 
her  schoolmates  thought  of  her  opin- 
ion ;  how  they  profited  by  the  simple 
lesson  she  had  taught  them,  and  tried 
to  break  themselves  of  the  foolish  and 
sinful  habit  into  which  nearly  all  of 
them  had  fallen,  of  using  sacred 
names  and  things  in  such  a  heedless, 
unthinking  manner. 

It  was  not  only  the  very  little  girls, 
but  the  older  ones  also,  and  even 
Miss  Collins  herself,  who  learned 
from  our  Daisy  to  set  a  watch  upon 


196  Daisys  Work. 

their  lips,  and  to  remember  whose 
ear  was  ever  present,  hearing  each 
thoughtless  word  which  dishonored 
Him  or  that  which  especially  be- 
longed to  Him. 

Perhaps  they  gave  more  heed  to 
Daisy's  words  than  they  would  have 
done  to  those  of  any  other  one  of 
their  number.  There  was  such  a 
half-mystery  about  her,  and  their 
thoughts  were  so  tender  towards  her, 
that  they  checked  their  heedless 
speech  for  her  sake  at  first ;  then,  as 
they  learned  to  think  more  about  it, 
for  a  better  and  higher  reason,  till  at 
last  the  bad  habit  was  broken  up ; 
and  if,  by  chance,  such  a  word  as 
"  mercy,"  w  heavens,"  "  good  Lord," 
or  the  like,  came  from  the  lips  of  any 


Daisy's  Name.  197 

child,  the  surprised  and  reproving 
looks  of  her  companions  told  her  of 
her  fault,  and  punished  her  suf- 
ficiently. 

And  the  good  influence  spread  far 
and  wide.  Since  the  little  ones  were 
so  careful,  their  parents  and  older 
friends  felt  that  they,  too,  must  take 
heed  lest  they  offended  in  this  way; 
and  so  it  came  to  pass  that  among 
the  families  of  Glenwood  God's  name 
and  word  came  to  be  held  in  such 
true  reverence  and  honor  as  had  never 
been  before. 

And  so  nearly  a  year  passed  by, 
and  brought  the  Daisy  and  her  sister- 
flowerets  to  another  spring. 


17* 


THE     LOST     FOUND. 


IX. 

THE  LOST  FOUND. 

"TS  that  you,  Daisy?" 

:<rYes,  sir.     Is  that  you,  Uncle 
Frank?"  answered  Daisy,  playfully. 

w  Well,  I  thought  it  was  this  morn- 
ing when  I  went  to  town;  but  I  am 
doubtful  of  it  now." 

:?  Why  ?  "  asked  Daisy,  laughing,  as 
she  reached  up  on  tiptoe  to  offer  the 
kiss  with  which  she  always  welcomed 
her  uncle  on  his  return  from  the 
city. 


2O2  Daisys  Work. 

"Baby  Daisy  is  not  doubtful,  at 
least,"  said  Mrs.  Forster,  coming  for- 
ward, and  putting  her  little  daughter, 
all  crows  and  smiles,  in  her  father's 
arms.  w  Let  her  pull  your,  hair  a 
little  to  convince  you  of  the  fact." 

w  It  will  be  difficult,"  said  the  Gen- 
eral. "  There  was  a  man  in  the  cars 
so  like  me,  face,  height,  and  figure, 
that  some  of  my  friends  were  taking 
him  for  me;  others  accusing  me  of 
having  a  brother  whom  I  have  never 
owned.  He  sat  two  or  three  seats  in 
front  of  me,  and  I  could  not  help 
being  amused.  Ward  came  in,  nod- 
ded familiarly  to  my  double,  with, 
"  How  are  you,  General  ?  "  passed  on 
to  me,  stopped,  and  looked  from  one 
to  the  other  with  a  mixture  of  surprise 


The  Lost  Found.  203 

and  curiosity  that  was  droll;  then 
asked  for  information  which  I  could 
not  give  him.  It  was  the  same  with 
many  others.  I  hope  the  stranger 
will  keep  himself  out  of  mischief 
while  he  is  in  Glenwood,  or  I  may 
be  held  responsible  for  his  wrong  do- 
ings." 

"Did  he  come  to  Glenwood?" 
asked  Daisy. 

:?Yes:  I  left  him  standing  on  the 
platform  at  the  station,  and  I  hardly 
knew  whether  my  own  carriage  be- 
longed to  him  or  to  me.  However, 
he  made  no  claim  as  I  stepped  into 
it." 

"  Who  was  he?  "  asked  Mrs.  Fors- 
ter.  "Did  not  you  find  out?  " 

"  No.     No  one  could  tell  me,  and 


204  Daisy's  Work. 

I  could  not  go  and  ask  the  man  who 
h?  was,  merely  for  the  reason  that 
he  resembled  me  so  much.  There, 
there,  little  woman,"  as  the  baby  gave 
a  vigorous  pull  at  his  hair.  "  I've  had 
enough  of  mamma's  proofs,  and  am 
satisfied  that  no  other  man  than  Frank 
Forster  would  submit  to  such  usage 
at  these  tiny  hands.  I  rather  imagine 
this  stranger  came  up  to  look  at 
Beechgrove,  which  is  to  let,  as  I  heard 
him  asking  the  railway  porter  in  which 
direction  it  lay,  and  where  the  agent 
was  to  be  found." 

A  fortnight  went  by,  and  nothing 
more  was  seen  of  the  stranger  who 
looked  so  like  General  Forster;  nor 
after  that  evening  did  the  General  or 
his  wife  think  of  him. 


The  Lost  Found.  205 

Not  so  Daisy.  She  thought  often 
of  him  with  a  kind  of  half  wish  that 
she  might  see  him;  why  she  scarcely 
knew  herself,  but  she  never  spoke  of 
it.  She  was  rather  a  sby,  quiet  child, 
keeping  her  ideas  and  wishes  pretty 
much  to  herself,  unless  they  were 
drawn  out  by  some  one  whom  she 
loved  or  trusted;  and  neither  the  Gen- 
eral nor  Mrs.  Forster  suspected  what 
was  working  in  her  mind. 

Her  idea,  too,  that  the  General 
looked  so  like  her  own  papa,  they 
regarded  only  as  a  childish  fancy, 
ready  to  see  a  likeness  between  the 
two  she  most  admired  and  loved 
in  all  the  world.  And  they  never 
imagined  how  the  child  was  dream- 
ing and  wondering  over  this  unseen 
18 


206  Daisy's  Work. 

stranger  who  had  had  such  a  passing 
interest  for  them. 

Meanwhile,  it  became  certain  that 
Beechgrove,  as  the  place  was  called, 
was  taken;  for  the  placards  adver- 
tising it  to  rent  were  taken  down, 
and  the  house  was  going  through 
a  thorough  cleaning. 

But  the  General* and  his  wife,  being 
people  who  never  gossiped  or  con- 
cerned themselves  about  their  neigh- 
bors' affairs,  did  not  trouble  themselves 
in  the  matter.  And  those  who  were 
curious  and  asked  questions  received 
no  satisfaction  from  old  Dr.  Harding, 
who  had  charge  of  the  property. 

All  Miss  Collins'  young  scholars, 
however,  thought  themselves  very 
much  concerned  in  the  letting  of 


The  Lost  Found.  207 

Beechgrove,  and  with  good  reason. 
For  a  large  aviary  belonged  to  the 
place,  containing  many  rare  and 
beautiful  birds,  and  the  former  owner, 
who  was  fond  of  children,  often 
used  to  invite  the  young  people  of 
Glenwood  to  see  these  birds,  and 
to  amuse  themselves  in  other  ways 
about  his  grounds.  But  since  Dr. 
Harding  had  had  the  care  of  the 
place,  not  a  child  had  been  suffered 
to  come  within  sight  or  hearing  of 
the  aviary,  which  had  a  new  charm 
for  them  since  it  was  a  forbidden 
pleasure. 

So  the  new  occupants  of  Beech- 
grove,  and  the  question  as  to  whether 
they  were  likely  to  recover  their  old 
privileges  there  or  no,  had  been  a 


208  Daisy's  Work. 

subject  of  great  interest  to  our  young 
friends,  and  they  were  very  anxious 
for  information  on  the  matter. 

One  morning  when  Daisy  came  to 
school,  she  found  the  rest  of  the 
class  grouped  about  Mattie  Prime 
and  Rosie  Pierson,  who  lived  beyond 
Beechgrove,  and  had  to  pass  it  on 
their  way  to  Miss  Collins'. 

"  The  new  people  have  gone  to 
Beechgrove,"  said  Violet  Swan,  when 
Daisy  asked  what  they  were  talking 
about;  "and  Mattie  and  Rosie  saw 
a  little  girl  there  this  morning.  We 
are  glad  there  is  a  child  there,  be- 
cause maybe  having  her  will  make 
the  papa  good  to  other  children, 
and  he  will  let  us  go  in  and  see 
the  birds  because  of  her." 


The  Lost  Found.  209 

"  She's  a  very  little  thing,"  said 
Rosie.  w  She  can't  speak  plain.  Such 
a  crooked  tongue." 

"But  she's  very  cunning,"  said 
Mattie.  :?We  were  going  past  the 
gate  and  she  called  out  to  us,  fltty 
dirls,  itty  dirls; '  and  when  we  stopped 
she  put  her  face  through  the  rails 
to  kiss  us,  and  handed  us  some 
flowers  she  had.  She  was  real 
sweet." 

K  What  is  her  name  ?  "  asked  Daisy. 

c?  We  asked  her,  but  we  could  not 
make  out  what  she  said.  Mamy 
Modwit  it  sounded  like;  but  she 
did  speak  so  crooked,"  said  Mattie. 

"?  Do  you  know,"  said  Rosie,  w  I 
think  she  looked  like  Daisy.  Don't 
you,  Mattie?" 

18* 


2io  Daisys  Work. 

"  Why,  so  she  does,"  said  Mattie. 
"  Isn't  that  funny  ?  Only  Daisy's  eyes 
always  look  sorry  except  when  she 
is  laughing  or  speaking,  and  that 
little  girl's  were  so  full  of  mischief 
and  laughing." 

"How  big  was  she?"  asked  Lola. 

"  Oh,  about  as  large  as  your  sister 
Bertie.  Not  near  old  enough  to 
come  to  school." 

"I  s'pose  there  are  no  other  chil- 
dren but  her,"  said  Fanny  Delisle. 
"Willie  saw  the  family  come  yes- 
terday; and  he  said  there  were  only 
the  lady  and  gentleman,  and  the 
little  girl  and  servants.  If  there 
are  no  children  as  old  as  us,  maybe 
it  won't  come  into  their  heads  to 
let  us  see  the  aviary  again." 


The  Lost  Found.  211 

This  short  conversation  put  an  end 
to  the  half  hope,  half  wish,  that  had 
been  in  Daisy's  heart.  Even  sup- 
posing the  stranger  who  looked  so 
like  General  Forster  were  the  gen- 
tleman who  had  taken  Beechgrove, 
he  could  be  nothing  to  her  (not 
until  now  had  she  said  even  to 
herself  that  she  had  hoped  it  might 
be  so),  for  the  family  did  not  answer 
to  her  own.  She  had  papa  and 
mamma,  little  brother  Theodore,  and 
a  baby  sister,  a  very  little  baby; 
and  only  this  child  of  three  years 
old  or  more  seemed  to  belong  to 
the  new-comers;  and  she  had  no 
sister  so  old. 

Daisy  reasoned  this  all  out  for 
herself  with  a  sad,  disappointed  little 


212  Daisy's  Work. 

heart,  forgetting  that  time  had  not 
stood  still  with  her  own  family  any 
more  than  it  had  with  her,  and  that 
changes  might  have  come  to  them 
as  well  as  to  herself. 

This  was  on  Friday,  and  nothing- 
more  was  seen  or  heard  of  the 
strangers  by  Daisy  or  her  playmates, 
till  Sunday  came.  But  then  such 
a  strange  and  happy  thing  came  to 
pass,  and  in  such  a  wonderful  way. 
"Just  like  a  book  thing,"  Lily  Ward 
afterwards  said. 

It  was  the  loveliest  of  Sabbath  days, 
and  every  thing  seemed  to  feel  it. 

"What  day  is  it,  Bertie?"  asked 
Mr.  Swan,  as  his  youngest  daughter 
stood  on  the  piazza  steps  ready  for 
church. 


The  Lost  Found.  213 

"Jesus'  happy  Sunday,"  answered 
the  little  one ;  w  and,  oh,  didn't  He 
mate  a  nice  one  ! " 

Other  people  than  Bertie  thought 
so;  a  nice  one  indeed. 

It  was  the  softest,  sweetest,  warmest 
of  May  Sundays.  A  busy  little  breeze, 
carrying  with  it  the  perfume  of  the 
apple-blossoms  over  which  it  had 
passed,  stole  in  at  the  open  windows 
of  the  church,  and  wandered  around 
among  aisles,  pillars,  and  pews,  now 
fluttering  the  leaves  of  a  book,  now 
toying  with  a  ribbon,  now  tossing  a 
curl  upon  some  sunny  head,  now 
fanning  some  cheek  flushed  with  a 
walk  in  the  almost  summer  heat. 
A  robin,  saucy  birdie,  swung  him- 
self lightly  to  and  fro  on  the  branch 


214  Daisy's  Work. 

of  one  of  the  fine  old  elms  outside 
the  church-door,  and  poured  forth 
his  hymn  of  praise;  while  from  far 
and  near  came  the  answering  notes 
of  his  mates;  and  mingling  with 
his  song  were  heard  the  voices  of 
the  children  in  the  Sunday  school 
beyond,  as  they  sang  the  closing 
hymn. 

Then  they  came  trooping  in  gently, 
and  with  soft  footsteps,  as  became 
the  house  of  God  (honoring  His 
name  and  His  word  had  taught 
them  also  to  honor  the  place  where 
He  was  worshipped),  and  took  their 
places  beside  their  parents  and 
friends. 

Watching  them  from  one  of  the 
pews  which  ran  by  the  side  of  the 


The  Lost  Found.  215 

pulpit,  were  a  pair  of  roguish,  danc- 
ing eyes,  which  Rosie  Pierson  and 
Mattie  Prime  recognized  at  once. 
They  were  those  of  the  little  girl  who 
had  peeped  at  them  through  the  rail- 
ing of  the  Beechgrove  grounds.  Now 
they  were  peeping  over  the  top  of  the 
pew-door  as  she  stood  at  its  foot,  her 
hands  crossed  upon  it,  her  chin  resting 
upon  them.  What  a  bright,  merry, 
laughing  face  it  was,  and  how  like 
Daisy's!  General  and  Mrs.  Forster 
had  noticed  it  from  their  seat,  which 
commanded  a  full  view  of  that  of  the 
strangers. 

Beside  the  little  girl  sat  a  gentle- 
man, half  turned  from  the  congrega- 
tion, his  face  partly  shaded  by  his 
hand;  but  there  could  be  no  doubt 


216  Daisy's  Work. 

that  he  was  the  man  who  was  so  like 
the  General.  Mrs.  Forster  saw  the 
likeness  at  once,  even  in  the  turn  and 
shape  of  his  head.  Beyond  him  was 
a  lady  in  deep  mourning,  closely 
veiled. 

"Frank  must  find  out  who  they 
are,"  said  Mrs.  Forster  to  herself. 
"  That  child  is  so  like  Daisy.  Can  it 
be  —  oh,  can  it  be  ?  "  Then  she  tried 
to  collect  her  thoughts  and  bring  them 
back  to  the  service  of  Him  whom  she 
had  come  to  worship. 

Daisy  came  in  a  little  behind  the 
rest  of  the  infant  class  (she  had  lin- 
gered for  a  word  with  her  teacher), 
and  took  her  seat.  Almost  imme- 
diately her  eye  fell  on  the  new-comers 
to  Glenwood.  Mrs.  Forster  saw  her 


The  Lost  Found.  217 

start,  flush  all  over,  neck  and  face, 
and  press  her  small  hands  tightly  to- 
gether, as  if  trying  to  keep  back  some 
exclamation  which  rose  to  her  lips. 

With  a  beating  heart  the  child 
watched  the  strangers,  striving  in  vain 
to  get  a  better  view  of  the  face  of  the 
gentleman,  gazing  from  him  to  the 
veiled  lady,  and  then  at  the  little 
girl. 

The  bell  ceased  tolling,  the  con- 
gregation were  gathered,  the  hour  of 
service  had  come,  and  the  clergyman 
rose  in  the  pulpit. 

But  at  that  moment  the  lady  drew 
aside  her  veil ;  and  ere  Dr.  Parker 
had  opened  his  lips,  a  little  voice  rang 
through  the  still  church. 

"  Mamma!  Oh,  my  own  mamma!  " 
19 


218  Daisy's  Work. 

How  much  was  in  those  few  words! 
"What  a  tale  they  told!  What  a  world 
of  longing,  of  love,  of  joy,  they  held ! 

The  stranger  lady  —  ah!  no  stran- 
ger was  she  to  our  Daisy  —  started  to 
her  feet,  stretched  out  her  hands,  then 
with  a  little  cry  sank  fainting  into 
the  arms  of  the  gentleman  who  had 
also  suddenly  arisen. 

She  was  carried  out;  General  and 
Mrs.  Forster  following  with  the  ex- 
cited, trembling  Daisy  ;  and  so  the 
father  and  mother  found  the  long-lost 
child. 

Who  could  describe  it?  Who 
could  find  words  for  the  joy,  the 
wonder,  the  gratitude  of  those  con- 
cerned; who  tell  the  sympathy  which 
filled  the  hearts  of  all  in  that  congre- 


The  Lost  Found.  219 

gation,  which  dimmed  their  eyes  with 
tears,  and  filled  their  hearts  with  ado- 
ration, as,  before  another  word  of  the 
morning  service  was  begun,  the  be- 
loved minister  called  on  all  to  render 
thanks  for  the  great  and  signal  mercy 
just  shown  to  those  long-parted  pa- 
rents and  their  little  one  ! 

And  now  there  is  little  more  to  tell. 
Only  how  Daisy's  mamma,  and  the 
little  sister  whom  she  remembered 
only  as  a  tiny  baby,  had  been  rescued 
from  the  sinking  ship  with  some  of 
the  other  passengers  ;  how,  having 
been  unable  to  trace  their  lost  treas- 
ure, and  believing  that  the  boat,  with 
all  whom  it  contained,  had  gone 
down  in  the  deep  waters,  the  parents 
had  gone  abroad,  where  they  had  re- 


22O  Daisy's  Work. 

mained  till  a  few  months  before  this 
time,  and  so  had  never  seen  the  ad- 
vertisements which  might  have  told 
them  she  was  still  living:  all  this 
was  soon  explained. 

And  then  Daisy  must  tell  her  story, 
and  Betty  must  come  in  to  help  her 
out  where  memory  failed  and  the 
past  was  a  blank,  because  of  that  long, 
wasting  illness.  And  how  Betty 
laughed  and  cried  by  turns,  and  would 
hear  of  no  praise  or  thanks  for  what 
she  had  done,  declaring  that  "  Miss 
Daisy  had  done  her  and  Jack  far 
more  good  nor  she  resaved,  tach- 
ing  them  to  mind  their  tongues  afore 
God  Almighty." 

And  though  General  and  Mrs.  Fors- 
ter  must  now  give  up,  to  her  rightful 


The  Lost  Found.  221 

owners,  the  darling  of  whom  they  had 
grown  so  fond,  yet  they  did  not  have 
to  part  with  her  altogether;  for  she 
was  so  near  to  them  that  they  saw 
her  every  day;  indeed,  the  two  fam- 
ilies became  almost  as  one,  and  Daisy 
felt  as  if  she  had  two  homes. 

The  little  brother,  whom  Daisy  re- 
membered so  well,  had  gone  to  a 
home  beyond  the  sky,  but  a  few 
weeks  before  her  father  and  mother 
came  to  Glenwood. 

And  so  the  Daisy  blossom,  which 
had  been  parted  from  its  parent  stem 
and  cast  by  the  wayside,  where 
stranger  hands  had  gathered  and 
lovingly  tended  it,  was  planted  once 
more  in  the  soil  where  it  belonged, 
after  it  had  done  the  Master's  work, 


222  Daisy's  Work. 

and  scattered  the  good  seed  which 
budded  for  His  glory ;  proving  well, 
that  those  who  "honor"  the  Lord 
He  will  "delight  to  honor." 


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